Regarding Iraq

I was not happy that the U.S. did not seek a Declaration of War when we went into Iraq, as the Constitution says. OK, we had a majority resolution to do so several times, which is not the same thing but similar intent. Not good in my opinion, but we went in anyway.

I am not a war protester. I have felt for a long time that there were links to Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and other nations to radical Islamic terrorists. Make no mistake that this is at its root a religious war. I have no problem with heading off an obvious threat to peaceful existence. I have no issue with taking out those who are seeking to kill us. I have said for a long time, though, that if you are going to do it, do it right. Islamists in the Middle East have no respect for peaceful negotiations or with logical discussion. The only thing they understand is strength and brute force.

I have said for a long time that we need to run Iraq for a while before handing it over to Iraqi control. I even went on to say that we need to install a military governor as we did in Japan in the form of MacArthur. Today, I found a link to this article that quotes General MacArthur's farewell address to Congress in April of 1951, after President Truman had fired the general during the Korean War.

"...there is no alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end. War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory."