"Mess in Iraq" ?

This piece at RealClearPolitics about Jon Tester and Jim Webb bothers me for several reasons but primarily because of the line "Tester's populism (if he doesn't stray too far to the redistributionist left) will sell well in a libertarian-leaning West that is fed up with out of control federal spending and the mess in Iraq".

What "mess in Iraq"?

Since the election I have heard a number of conservative pundits/commentators speak about Iraq as though it is agreed by all parties to be a disaster.

If by "mess" John McIntyre means to imply that the American effort there is a mess, I disagree strongly.

Criminals make things messy and to that extent Iraq is indeed a mess. However the combined opinion of the Mainstream Media notwithstanding, Iraq is far from being an unmitigated disaster.

First, there is no "war" in Iraq. There was a war. It started in March of 2003 and ended for all practical purposes within a few weeks. It ended absolutely when Saddam Hussein was pulled out of a hole in the ground in late 2003.

The war was short and very well fought on the American side, and it has been over for at least
three years.

The "mess" in Iraq is called law enforcement stateside. Consider these facts from THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL FUND website.

*Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 17,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Currently, there are 17,535 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

*A total of 1,635 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 53 hours or 164 per year. There were 155 law enforcement officers killed in 2005.

*On average, more than 56,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted each year, resulting in over 16,000 injuries.

*The 1970s were the deadliest decade in law enforcement history, when a total of 2,260 officers died, or an average of 226 each year.

*The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1974, when 275 officers were killed. That figure dropped dramatically in the 1990s, to an average of 159 per year.

*The deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001, when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on America.

Think about it. 72 of our finest killed on one day, September 11, 2001. And that was just police officers. In fact all of those figures cited above were "just police officers". They don't include fire and EMS deaths due to stupid and criminal activity of others. They don't include private security guards. They don't include private citizens defending themselves and loved ones.

As horrific as the American deaths are in Iraq, they are the price we are paying to stabilize that country and allow it time to stand and walk on its own. A free and democratic Iraq will make for a safer and more secure America.

The "mess" in Iraq is the price we are paying to protect America from another 9-11. That even many conservatives have lost sight of this basic fact is frightening.