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Murphy Martin Commentary
December 22, 2005

 "Democracy in the Middle East"

Less than two-hours after returning from his eighth trip to Iraq, there stood Geraldo Rivera in Times Square saying the elections in Iraq--where eleven-million voters cast their ballots despite a war going on all around them--those voters had brought Democracy to the Middle East. It is a beginning. As President Bush said, our work is not done. There is more testing and sacrifice ahead. But with a new free government forming and more Iraqi troops becoming dependable, that country just might--just might be taking steps to at last be self-sufficient.

That would make it possible for many if not most of the 140-thousand American service men and women to start coming home. Yes, we hear the words loud and clear from President Bush--we are not leaving until our work is done. Well, the huge turnout in the elections in Iraq was another big part of getting "our work done!" "To retreat before victory would be an act of recklessness and dishonor and I will not allow it " the president said.

And while President Bush was speaking from the oval-office, there came a reminder from Thomas Sowell, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He said "The media seem to have come up with a formula that would make any war in history un-winnable and unbearable: They simply emphasize the enemy's victories and our losses.

What are the enemy's victories in Iraq? The killing of Americans and the killing of Iraqi civilians. Both are big news in the mainstream media.

Every death is a tragedy to the individual killed and to his loved ones. But is there anything about American casualty rates in Iraq that makes them more severe than casualty rates in any other war we have fought? Thomas Sowell also says: "The doomsayers claimed that terrorist attacks would make it impossible to hold the elections last January because so many Iraqis would be afraid to go vote." But a higher percentage of Iraqis voted in that election-- and in the two subsequent elections-- than the percentage of Americans who voted in last year's presidential elections.

I have never had the slightest doubt that we would begin pulling out of Iraq when it was feasible. Eleven-million Iraqis turning out to vote help make it more feasible. Improved Iraqi forces capabilities make it more feasible!

Irresponsible politicians in Washington do not make it more feasible, nor does a media that fails to find anything right about American efforts in the Middle East.

Lest we forget.....Terrorist activities are diminishing worldwide and there have been NO terrorist attacks on American soil in four years. And the latest ABC News poll this week showed President Bush's approval numbers climbing to nearly 50%....up from a low around 30% just a few weeks ago.

Thanks to our service men and women everywhere- America is still free and strong and thanks to their sacrifices most of us can still have a Merry Christmas. God Bless our troops!

Murphy Martin

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Previous commentaries:
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August 18 - "Network News Anchors"
August 11 - "Now All Three Are Gone"
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