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Operation Iraqi Freedom was the most widely covered war in our nation's history. For the first time, reporters and camera crews were embedded in military units beaming live pictures of the conflict back to the United States, providing real time battlefield updates. Yet round-the-clock coverage does not begin to come close to the experience of seeing, hearing and feeling the danger firsthand.
I recently traveled to the Middle East to visit our troops and assess the situation in person. What I found is troubling.
I have often traveled overseas – to Europe and the Middle East – to talk with our troops to better understand their living conditions, their needs and the threats they face.
But what I saw in Iraq was unlike anything I’d seen in the Balkans even at the height of the conflict there. The situation in Iraq is far more treacherous than we anticipated. Conflict continues. The battle has shifted. Following a brilliant conventional military campaign, our troops now wage unconventional warfare. Every day, they defend against guerrilla-type tactics.
Americans are being ambushed and danger lurks around every corner.
That point was brought home to me in a profound and dramatic way. I was within five miles of the United Nations compound in Baghdad when a truck bomb killed 23 people, including the top U.N. envoy to Iraq. Our leaders on the ground believe the remnants of Saddam Hussein’s regime are trying to stop the progress of rebuilding Iraq. But they also believe terrorists are coming over the border from Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia.
It is clear we are stretched too thin in Iraq. We need more troops to help restore order and keep the peace. Not necessarily more U.S. troops; troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and nations in the region that have a stake in the success of this mission could be immensely helpful.
We also need people who can begin the rebuilding process in earnest and for the long term. We need civil engineers, those who speak Arabic and people with border patrol experience.
The war on terrorism is ongoing and escalating.
My Middle East itinerary included meetings with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and then-Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.
Each of these men has been called upon to provide leadership in the heart of the most volatile region on earth. Each has the responsibility – and the historic opportunity – to effect positive change. Each has the capacity to meet that challenge.
The escalation of violence throughout the Middle East and around the globe is a clarion call to all nations of the earth. This is not just an American problem. If terrorism succeeds against Western nations, it will be turned on Islamic governments that are not considered extreme enough. Some of our allies in the war on terror are doing their part, but it is not enough. Moderate Arab countries must also join in the fight. Standing on the sidelines implies silent support for terrorist actions.
A coalition of Muslim forces participating with security and reconstruction efforts in Iraq would signal not only solidarity, but a genuine desire to create a peaceful and prosperous region. It could help our human intelligence capabilities as well.
Our country has called our troops to duty and they have readily answered the call. But they are living in very harsh conditions, and they are living in danger.
If we are going to continue the high operations tempo of peacekeeping, fighting a war on terrorism while remaining prepared to fight elsewhere, we need more soldiers and the support of other nations in the Middle East. Failure is not an option.
If we don't bring this battle to the terrorists, they will bring it to us – again – on U.S. soil. September 11, 2001 is not a distant memory; it is a constant reminder of the menace of terrorism. We must stamp it out. Peace, security and the future of our civilization demand it.
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