Shays Missteps on Iraq

Having newly joined the Republic Square Blog I've decided to begin by discussing Iraq the issue dominating headlines throughout the nation, the issue that will decide the fate of the GOP House in the upcoming election. There is an increasing perception espoused by the media that the war in Iraq is going horribly wrong and that an immediate withdrawal will rectify the current Iraqi political climate. Put simply it won't, an immediate withdrawal may cleanse American hands of the turmoil in Iraq, but this answer is only a short term vacation from reality and indicates to the people of Iraq that we do not value their security and have lost hope in their future. Illustrating this perception is Christopher Shays (CT-4). In a 2003 letter sent to Donald Rumsfeld Shays states that "unfortunately Americans are receiving mixed messages from the media and the administration. My experiences in Iraq have provided me a crucial understanding of the challenges the coalition faces and a perspective on what it will take to bring stability and progress to this long-oppressed nation." Yet Shays own recent calls for a timetable for the withdrawal of troops in Iraq is itself a mixed message. Once an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq, Shays is now calling for a timetable, not a timetable for victory but a timetable for defeat. In a state that was affected as much as any by the attacks on our nation, Shays should be more attuned to the importance of securing a peaceful middle-east and ending the inner religious violence that has plagued Iraq. Although errors have been made in post-war Iraq, leaving the nation would be a mistake. In many places US and coalition forces are the only units ensuring order and stability. By leaving the US will not help end the violence, it will instead serve to create a power vaccuum that will invite ethnic and religious conflict. Chris Shays should take his own advice and stop sending mixed messages to the American public and instead stay the course in Iraq. Hopefully Shays will learn a valuable lesson from the Iraq debacle (his opponent rejected a timetable for troop withdrawal), never change your position based on a perceived public outcry; support the commitment the United States has made to the Iraqi people, a commitment that will one day pay dividends for Iraq and the security of our own nation.