The American Spectator

p> FRAGILE AND REVERSIBLE br> Re: G. Tracy Mehan, III’s This Pause Won’t Refresh : /p>

For the state of the current Iraq war debate, we can thank the inability or unwillingness of the Bush Administration to articulate and defend the many valid reasons we went into Iraq and the many, many additional regional and geopolitical reasons for the U.S. to stick with the project until the country is able to properly function. That is yesterday’s topic and almost yesterday’s administration. Thanks to Senator McCain we see the beginnings of a rational debate on this very important-to-our-future effort. Mr. Mehan appears to join the many Democrats and foreign policy Know-Nothing Republicans who are hell-bent on flinging their petticoats over their heads and running, willy nilly, for the nearest exit; damn the consequences. We are not debating whether to go into Iraq; we are already there. How we leave the country is as important to our future as why. Let’s all take a deep breath, please.

Doubtless the author had a stellar career at the EPA. I wonder at his qualifications and abilities, however, to elucidate on foreign and defense policy, much less on geopolitics. It might prove salutary for him to unroll a map of the region and take a good look at what used to be called Persia and is now called the Islamic Republic of Iran. Take a gander at the Straits of Hormuz; it’s that narrow body of water that separates the Gulf of Arabia from the Gulf of Oman. Over 30 percent of the world’s oil supply transits this 21-mile wide strait, and Iran’s navy is stationed right there. Looking upwards and slightly to the left, Iraq (of all places) comes into view. Next to Iraq lies Sunni Saudi Arabia, keeper of the Holy Cities; an ally of ours and no friend of the Shia Iranian mullahocracy.

Oh, yes. Add the fact that Iran has been hostile to us since the overthrow of the Shah, sponsors terrorism (see Hizbullah) in the Levant and other parts of the Middle East and world; committed an act of war on our embassy in 1979, is hell-bent on developing nukes to put on its missiles, etc., etc., and so forth.

p>Senator McCain wants to finish the job in Iraq. The Iraqis appear to be working on their part, having fulfilled 12 of the 18 benchmarks and working to curtail Iranian backed Shia militias. Yes they’ve been slow, but they are working on their end of the bargain and seem to be picking up speed. General Petraeus has snatched progress from the jaws of irresolution. We appear to be on the right track at last. My question to the faint of heart continues to be “What besides wishful thinking does anyone other than Senator McCain offer?” br> — Frank Stevenson br> Williamsburg, Virginia /p>

Mr. Mehan’s essay resonates on so many levels, it is difficult to make a single subject comment.