America and Iraq Are Now Siblings in the World

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has written a letter to the citizens of the United States of America. It is a beautiful rebuke to all the negatives in the media. To those that cry "why should we believe anything posted on a US military site", I say "why should YOU believe anything posted in the media from journalists sitting in a hotel". Who is a better spokesperson for the people of Iraq? - the elected Iraqi President or Dean, Clinton, Kos or Huffington. I chose President Talabani.

Since you probably will never see this mentioned in the media (well maybe as a quick news byte), here are some snips from the letter. You can read the full letter here.

The first thing I would like to convey is the gratitude of all Iraqis, who are fighting for a democratic government and a civil society, to the Americans. Without your commitment, our struggle against despotism could not have made the progress that we have achieved. No expression of thanks could be enough for those who lost loved ones in Iraq. We feel your pain, we honor your sacrifice and we will never forget you. To those of you who have family and friends in Iraq today, we say: Your sons and daughters are helping us through a historic transition. We will always remember the enormous sacrifice that America is making for Iraq.
***********
Thanks to the United States, we are transforming Iraq from a country that was ruled by fear, repression and dictatorship into a country that is ruled by democracy and has the values of equality, tolerance, human rights and the rule of law at its heart.
***********
The economic conditions for most Iraqis have improved. The economy was liberated from the control of the state and we are now taking the first steps in creating a vibrant private sector. Thanks to our independent businesspeople, our market places are bustling despite the unsettled security situation.
*********
For the first time in Iraq's history, we ratified a constitution that enshrines many of the democratic values of human rights, equality, rule of law and good government. After three historic ballots that remain landmarks in the history of the Middle East, we now have a government that arises out of the people, instead of over the people, to use the words of a great American patriot, Thomas Paine.
***********
Iraq is slowly gaining the ability to fight this war with its own soldiers, evidenced recently by the relinquishing of complete control of coalition forces to the Iraqi government. The coalition now employs more soldiers from Iraq than any other nation. Slowly but surely, Iraq will be able to protect itself on its own.
***********
The stakes of Iraq are enormous, world-shifting even. This is why our country should be a point of concern for every democratic country of the world. I can assure you that the immediate departure of coalition forces would only unleash tensions between different communities, the prospect of a safe Iraq wou ld be completely lost, and the previous descriptions of a civil war would seem insufficient and tame compared to the bloodshed of an Iraq that loses its international support.
**********
And although I cannot promise when or how the American presence will completely end in Iraq, I can promise that American soldiers do not fight in vain. We in Iraq recognize that an incredible amount of American resources have been offered to us. And we understand that many Americans are frustrated with the course of the war, and we understand that doubt naturally coincides with difficulty. I realize that many Americans were apprehensive about the decision to go to war. But I ask that you put this behind you in favor of supporting a democratic and free Iraq, and a future for Iraqis that excludes the threat of violence and extremism. I ask that you consider what the terms of failure in Iraq would actually look like, and what they would mean for Iraq, the United States and the international community.
**********
As complicated as the relationship may be, America and Iraq are now siblings in the world.”

How can you argue against this? President Talabani understands what is at stake and it is so much more than a Republican or Democratic thing. It's a shame that such tremendous bravery, courage and sacrifice could be swept under the rug just to score some political power points. The Left is trying to "make their political bones" by snatching the rug out from under our soldiers and their mission. We must stand firm and keep fighting back against those who have nothing more than their own selfish interests at heart. We owe it to our country and our soldiers.