IF WE WANT IT, IT'S OURS:

Why We Must Take Fallouja (Mark Bowden, November 12, 2004, LA Times)

The war in Iraq has become a contest for the confidence of the Iraqi people. Before committing to one side or the other — the insurgents or the collaborationists — most Iraqis, like sensible people everywhere, are looking to see which side is most likely to prevail. In their case (unlike the election we just had in the U.S.) the issue is one of survival.

Which is why retaking Fallouja is so important, as was the need to do so deliberately and with care. The advance notice gave our enemies time to flee, but it also gave civilians, especially those in that vast middle, a chance to clear out. With Iraqi elections scheduled and with slates of candidates being readied, the people of that country are being asked to participate, against violent opposition, in the creation of an independent civil society. The boldest have already chosen sides, but the vast majority of more ordinary people are still wavering. I suspect fear has more to do with influencing them than anything else — more than nationalism, religion, kinship or ideology. If running for office, voting, applying for a job or even just showing up for work amounts to a death sentence, the insurgents win.

Closing down Fallouja is a step in the right direction. It denies the insurgents a haven, and it eliminates the perception that they are gaining ground. It works as a demonstration of will and power. It says that no matter how brutal and determined the enemy is, he will not control neighborhoods, towns or cities, and he will not prevail.

Guerrilla war is always about hearts and minds. If the foreign assassins and stubborn homegrown Saddamites are forced underground — so they will have to run and hide and be unable to operate — their chances of winning over that vast middle population will recede. Most people everywhere want to live in a peaceful world, one where they can work and love and nurture families, where they have at least an expectation of justice and where they have a say in larger policies or governance that touches their lives. The more convincingly an elected Iraqi government can offer that prospect, and the faster the U.S. presence can recede, the more likely it is that most Iraqis will turn against the insurgents.

After all, what do the insurgents have to offer?

The notion that Islamic extremism can hold any long-term attraction is really just a form of contempt for Muslims.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 12, 2004 8:28 AM