We need more of this

Has we enter the final phase of this years Presidential race we have on the front burner the war in Iraq. One candidate who will leave Iraq to the whims of the Terrorist and one who will insure that we leave an Iraq that is ready to stand on it's own has a free nation with open and fair elections and rights for all of it's people. And for the lefties in the room, this is not an imposition.

We have worked long and hard, paid much in blood and treasure, and so have the good people of Iraq. We made many mistakes, some could have been avoided. Too few troops, too slow to respond to changes on the ground, and too quick to declare victory. And some could not, not being ready for the use of IEDs, and attacks by insurgents on unarmed civilians. But now we have seen changes that have made a real difference on the ground in Iraq. We stand closer to victory then ever and it is with that background we vote for the course we will follow.

Michael Yon knows this truth first hand and wants to share this with our Presidential candidates and says so in an open letter to all of our Senators.

Whether any Senators take advantage of my offer, I do hope that the presidential candidates visit Iraq, not just for a photo opportunity, but to spend time with our commanders and combat veterans, who know the truth and are not afraid to speak it.

He opens with one of the best declaration of victory I've read

One of the biggest problems with the Iraq War is that politics has frequently triumphed over truth.  For instance, we went into Iraq with shoddy intelligence (at best), no reconstruction plan, and perhaps half as many troops as were required.  We refused to admit that an insurgency was growing, until the country collapsed into anarchy and civil war.  Now the truth is that Iraq is showing real progress on many fronts:  Al Qaeda is being defeated and violence is down and continuing to decrease.  As a result, the militias have lost their reason for existence and are getting beaten back or co-opted.  Shia, Sunni and Kurds are coming together -- although with various stresses -- under the national government.  If progress continues at this rate, it is very possible that before 2008 is out, we can finally say "the war has ended."