Nations sometimes too easily “declare war.” But it is very difficult to “declare an end to combat” unless the enemy has been militarily defeated.
With Americans sick and tired of the costly war in Iraq, President Barack Obama has declared that the United States will end its combat mission in Iraq at the end of this month, “as promised and on schedule.”
That would be very good news – if we were sure our undefeated enemies in Iraq also declared a desire to end the Iraq War.
But with violent elements still attacking Americans and seeking to topple the shaky Iraqi government, will Mr. Obama’s declaration really mean an end to U.S. combat in Iraq – or only encourage our enemies?
We certainly would love to be able to end American combat in Iraq – without U.S. defeat. But will the Iraqi government – without U.S. combat aid – be able to assure that our violent enemies will not be able eventually to win?