Withdrawing Troops from Iraq is the Next Step in Nation Building

Maybe the Army can't solve every problem.

Imagine for a moment that your neighbor's kitchen catches fire. The fire department roars in to put the fire out. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to let the heavy smoke out. They crash through the back door thinking there may be someone inside. There isn't, thank goodness. They throw a lot of water into the kitchen. Once the fire is knocked down, they shut off the power to prevent electrocution and the water to prevent more damage. They pull down some of the walls and ceiling to get at hot spots. Eventually, when they are certain that the fire is out, the firefighters pack up their equipment and return to their stations.

You're standing on the sidewalk with another neighbor watching.

"What a bunch of bums those firemen are," the neighbor says to you. "They didn't replace the kitchen cabinets. They didn't fix the walls. They didn't teach the family how to file their insurance. They aren't driving the kids to school. They didn't put a new lock on the back door. They've left the place in terrible shape."

Now, except for the 'bunch of bums' comment, everything your neighbor said about the firefighters is true. What do you say to him?

How about this: "None of those things are jobs firefighters do. The things we expect them to do-fire safety and suppression-they did admirably. Besides, the house was in terrible shape when they arrived; it would have been worse if they hadn't. You're right that there's a lot of work yet to be done, but they aren't the right people to do it. Our neighbors need some carpenters, painters, an insurance agent, a locksmith, maybe a banker and an attorney. They need a lot of people but they don't need any more firefighters."

The US military entered Iraq like firefighters. On the whole, they have performed admirably. There are some exceptions to this and they have been or will be investigated, prosecuted and punished. They should be. We hold our soldiers to high standards.