January 19, 2007

Here’s what bothers me most about the debate in Washington over more troops, less troops, no troops: the enemy is not having this debate.

We are fighting each other more than we are fighting our common enemy. Be assured that the other side is not debating troop levels, or leaving Iraq. They are in it for the long haul, whether that is ten years, fifty years or 100 years.

We ought to be doing everything – everything – necessary to defeat these people. Monitoring phone calls going to and from this country to foreigners in places with a history of terror activity; prosecuting government officials who leak information to the press that undermines the war effort; controlling immigration; and putting enough troops in iraq to get the job done.

This is a nasty war. It is a different war with different ways of fighting and different weapons. Democrats cannot play the game of passing resolutions against more troops and not coming up with a better plan than the current one. That is irresponsible and it isn’t leadership.

Sure it’s frustrating, but what’s the alternative, losing?

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.