Newsroom:

I See Real Progress in Iraq

This article appeared in the July 27, 2008 edition of the Morris County Daily Record:

Frelinghuysen: I see real progress in Iraq
But we must remain vigilant, because danger still very real

By Rodney P. Frelinghuysen

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to travel again to Iraq. I was invited with other members by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey of Wisconsin.

It was a brief, but productive, visit. Most importantly, I welcomed the opportunity to meet and listen to a number of our soldiers from New Jersey and thank them for their fine service and great sacrifice.

We received a very frank briefing by Gen. David Petraeus, the Multi-National Force-Iraq commander, on the state of "surge" strategy that was adopted in February 2007 after great debate. We also met with our impressive ambassador, Ryan Crocker, a fluent Arabic speaker and former U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Their briefings confirmed my impressions -- security in Iraq continues to improve. Fewer American service members and Iraqi civilians are being attacked and killed. In fact, all violence indicators are dramatically reduced from 2006 levels. Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to "shrink" the areas in which al-Qaida and insurgent groups have support and sanctuary, which they, in turn, used to terrorize local populations, making political and economic gains nearly impossible.

Iraqi security forces, both Army and police, have taken tremendous strides toward everyone's goal: Iraqis better protecting Iraqis. While ethnic and sectarian problems still exist inside various units, we are clearly much closer to the day when their military replaces ours in confronting militias and extremists.

I would note that oil production is up above pre-war levels and increased revenues are paying a much higher percentage of the costs of security operations throughout the country (an area the size of California).

More refugees are returning from abroad, and there is movement on constituting a "framework agreement" that will serve as the foundation for a "normalized political, diplomatic, economic and security relationship" between the United States and Iraq.

Of course, great credit for all of this is due to Petraeus and his former combat deputy, New Jersey's own Gen. Ray Odierno, a Morris Hills High School graduate and West Point alumnus. However, they will be the first to warn that all of the gains continue to be "uneven, fragile and tenuous."

Challenges abound. For example, we still have a "Green Zone" to sustain -- a protected area in Baghdad that houses our diplomatic mission, several foreign embassies, the Iraqi leadership and other key organizations. It's an expensive enclave that protects our troops, diplomats and the U.S. civilian workers doing humanitarian work with our soldiers in PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams).

Despite the drumbeat for direct "negotiations" with Iran here at home, Iran continues to play a disturbing role in Iraq and in the region at large. It appears that Iran would like to "Lebanonize" Iraq in order to gain further influence and power. The Iranians continue to reinforce their capability to spread havoc and terror outside their borders. There's no doubt that the Quds force, a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, is the main villain and supports terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, but is especially influential in southern Iraq.

Our delegation also spent time meeting those officials who monitor Iraq's political progress. Clearly, Prime Minister Maliki's government needs to function well in order to protect the interests of Shia, Sunni and Kurds alike. In comparison to my last trip to the region, there was significantly less talk about the disintegration of the country into three regions and more discussion about the desire of some leaders for national unity and responsibility for their own governance.

Of course, we all want our troops' service in Iraq to be as short as possible. I am further encouraged that military commanders on the ground are seriously considering a reduction of our combat forces and that they increasingly rely on a greater role for the Iraqis, our Agency for International Development, and nongovernmental organizations to further humanitarian and economic goals.

As I spent 28 hours in the air traveling to and from southwest Asia, I had the opportunity to read David Halberstam's "The Coldest Winter," about American involvement in the Korean War. Despite the fact that 33,000 Americans died and another 105,000 were wounded, Halberstam writes, "the true brutality of the war never really penetrated the American cultural consciousness."

While the Korean and Iraq wars are in different regions and of different eras, there are parallels. Of course, we all know the tragic loss of life in all wars and appreciate the huge sacrifices of our soldiers in Iraq and their families. But, I am reminded of the parting words of one soldier who I met. Among other New Jersey residents, I had lunch with a soldier with 23 years of Army service from Middlesex County. She said: "When you get home, remind people you talk to that we are still here. We are worried about talk of a pullout. We have sacrificed a lot here to make the world a better place and to make our families safer at home. We don't want it all to be for naught."

Frankly, I could not agree with her more and told her so, but promised to make her case whenever and wherever possible upon my return.

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Dan Senor, now a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations and former adviser to the coalition in Iraq, said it well: "There is a tendency in some corners to characterize our troops as victims, rather than heroes, let alone people who are proud of their mission and remain confident in its chances for success."

He's on target. Our professional soldiers are confident, well trained, all volunteers, active military and National Guard and Reserve, and they are proud of their military and humanitarian service in Iraq.

And, our country is, too.