President George W. Bush gave a State of the Union speech last Tuesday night that outlined his foreign policy goals and recent successes. Bush said, "Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all of his regime's weapons of mass destruction programs, including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons." There is little doubt that the recent victory in Iraq made President Muammar Qadhafi of Libya capitulate to American demands of abandoning his nuclear weapons program. Not only did he abandon his cherished nuclear development program, but he also agreed to compensate the United States and France for his terrorist bombings of American and French planes, respectively, over a decade ago.
Qadhafi officially took responsibility for these and other terrorist attacks on Western targets in a letter to the United Nations Security Council. In November last year, Iran, a member of the so-called "axis of evil," suspended its uranium enrichment program and allowed tougher United Nations inspections of its nuclear facilities. An International Atomic Energy Agency report said that Iran has admitted producing high-grade plutonium. North Korea, another member of the axis of evil, is also softening its stance on its nuclear weapons program. Recently, it agreed to discuss the fates of the Japanese citizens it has held in captivity since kidnapping them in the 1970's and 1980's, moving closer towards a possible reconciliation with its long-time adversary. In early January, President Kim Jong-Il of North Korea agreed to resume six-nation talks on nuclear crisis.
These are but side benefits of the American campaign in Iraq. As President Bush put it, "Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and Great Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible, and no one can now doubt the word of America." The war in Iraq has shown the world that the United States will destroy any regime that sponsors terrorism or threatens regional peace, and it is bringing results.
But, of course, the most important result of the war in Iraq is that the people of Iraq are free from the evil Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein. If it were not for the liberating forces of the United States, Britain and several other states, "Iraq's torture chambers would still be filled with victims, terrified and innocent." As President Bush said, "The killing fields of Iraq -- where hundreds of thousands of men and women and children vanished into the sands -- would still be known only to the killers," and Saddam would still be feasting on the wounds of his countrymen.
In his recent book, The Enemy Within, Michael Savage writes, "Uday [Hussein] . . . in addition to being a sadistic animal, was the head of Iraq's Olympic Committee. It was said players had their feet scalded and toenails ripped off if they failed to win a soccer match." He further talks about the iron maiden found near Uday's office, which is a coffin-shaped container with long sharp spikes mounted on the door. It was worn from use. Clearly, as President Bush stated, "the world without Saddam Hussein's regime is a better and safer place." Saddam, clearly, deserves to be punished for his crimes against humanity instead of ruling supreme over Baghdad.
For the first time ever, the Iraqi people will have an opportunity to vote for the government they want in power. For the first time ever, Iraq will have a democratic secular constitution framed by the Iraqis themselves.
For the first time ever, the Iraqi people will have a bill of rights, a set of fundamental rights denied to them thus far.
The people of Afghanistan have also been freed from the Taliban. For the first time ever, they too will have the opportunity to vote for their government of choice in accordance with the constitution they have themselves framed. "Businesses are opening, health care centers are being established and the boys and girls of Afghanistan are back in school," President Bush said.
The war against terrorism is still on and has scored several key successes in the past few months. Several al Qaida masterminds have been captured, including Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and Hambali. On the one hand, the United States continues to confront "regimes that harbor and support terrorists, and could supply them with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons" and, on the other, American and coalition forces continue to hunt down terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Philippines and elsewhere.
In Iraq, President Bush, said that our forces have captured or killed 45 top Ba'athist officials and lead "over 1,600 patrols a day and conducting an average of 180 raids a week."
Bravo, President Bush, for a job well done.
