Op-Ed from Congressional Candidate Lee Zeldin

MASTIC, NY (04/08/2008)(readMedia)-- Over the past five years, the Iraq War has grown increasingly unpopular among Americans. We live in a society in which the state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force, and believe that force used should be swift and overwhelming leaving no chance of a sustained conflict.

Many argue that our resources have been misdirected from targeting the elements of al Qaeda directly responsible for the attacks of September 11. Others point to flawed intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction as a reason to further question the invasion of Iraq.

As a veteran of the Iraq War, candidate for the United States Congress, and an American directly opposed to the actions of politicians seeking political capital from defeat in Iraq, I fully acknowledge and respect these concerns. However, my conscience, values and experience give me no choice but to oppose any effort to cut off funding for troops currently serving in harm's way.

My opponent argues that we should cut our losses. Unconscionably, he continues to try and block the ammunition, supplies and equipment necessary for our currently-deployed troops manning our front lines. Troops should be held at the tip of our nation's diplomatic spear, not at the tip of a political spear.

While many of us argue that the United States should not have entered Iraq in the first place, the fact remains that we are there now. Rather than questioning decisions of five years ago-history will ensure plenty of time for that-we must address the real challenges that threaten our nation's security today and in the coming years. Our future depends on visionary leaders committed to results and the consequences of short-sighted decision making rather than the pursuit of political benefit through defeat.

The argument advocating an immediate withdrawal from Iraq revolves around the belief that we chose to start this war and can now choose to end it. At the very least, this strategy assumes that the situation on the ground will not worsen if the United States military abruptly evacuates.

Such logic is tragically flawed. In reality, the violence will not end and terrorists will not stop targeting Americans and our allies as soon as we leave Iraq. In fact, terrorists will become emboldened further taxing our national security.

One disturbing and very real possibility is that the Iran-backed Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his militia would continue gaining influence, potentially gaining control over state resources and leaving Iraq with the tyrannical, fundamentalist Islamic leadership that threatens the well-being of Americans.

Those remaining in Iraq who want democracy and support our military coalition would be marginalized and probably executed. The people of Iraq are overwhelmingly good human beings, unfortunately burdened by a small percentage of terribly evil individuals. Abandoning these good people would make gaining the trust of Middle Eastern citizenry virtually impossible for the foreseeable future, an unacceptable consequence in such a vital region of the world.

The United States can choose to continue helping the Iraqis develop a stable society that will become a valuable partner in fighting terror or risk the creation of a vacuum likely to be filled by radicals who mean us harm. Terrorists have declared Iraq the central front in their war against the west, and hope to sustain violence until American public opinion becomes so negative that we withdraw from Iraq and they can gain control of an influential Middle Eastern nation.

The 21st Century Warrior deserves every bit of support the Allies received during World War II. While the adversaries have changed, those opposed to freedom will forever be our nation's greatest enemies. Thankfully, our troops are the brightest and best trained in the world. They simply require the time and support necessary to accomplish the mission.

We should all take great pride in recognizing that since assuming command of our forces in January 2007, General David Petraeus has overseen a successful campaign where the surge has worked, sectarian violence has been significantly reduced, and we continue to hand over control of provinces to the Iraqi government. Along the way, we've cultivated an agile and brilliant military that is the envy of the world because of our valor, adaptability and patriotism.

We must honor the sacrifices so many of our great Americans have made and ensure that their losses have not been in vain. Our troops must not return home from Iraq with their heads down under the white flag of surrender. They've worked too hard and sacrificed too much for anything less and Congress has the moral obligation to give them everything necessary to leave the battlefield victorious, with their heads held high.

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For more information on Lee’s campaign please visit us at www.zeldin08.com

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