The Cost

Travelling around here, I was struck by the enormous effort and cost (both monetary and human) of supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. There are thousands of troops and civilian contractors working long hours in the harshest conditions I've ever seen (it was over 121 degrees again today). If these soldiers and civilians can persevere in this rugged environment, I hope the citizens of the United States can exhibit the patience required to see this war through. The only way we are going to win is if the citizenry stops demanding the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. This kind of news only emboldens the insurgency and reassures them that if they keep bombing us that we will eventually withdraw, regardless of the political situation in Iraq. In an insurgency, the victor is the one with the most patience, not the one who inflicts the most casualties. If we are patient, we will win.