“Most people supporting the [Iraqi] resistance think that if Kerry wins he will pull the troops out of Iraq,” Ali writes, “or that?s what they wish. They know that the decisive factor in this is the American?s casualty, and that shifts their priorities now.”

To waver now, friends, would be tragic. Whereas presidential candidate John F. Kerry has not seemed to be able to hold a consistent position on what he would do in Iraq, “you bet he might” pull the troops out at the earliest opportunity. And this, sadly, would be exactly the wrong thing to do. Again, Ali:

I don’t want to predict anything here but I want to say that if America decided to get out of Iraq before the job is finished, that will be not only disastrous but will be (in my opinion) the worst thing America ever did. Freeing Iraq (again in my opinion) was the best thing America ever did. It gave oppressed people everywhere a hope and a belief that the mightiest power on earth, the symbols of freedom is on their side and that it will help them in one way or another to get their freedom.

There is a bigger picture here. It isn’t about what the French think, or the Germans, or the Canadians, or even our allies from Australia and the UK. It’s about what those people oppressed by decades of tyranny think. Iraqis are overwhelmingly elated to be free even though many of their number deplore the occupation of their country. We must not abandon them at this critical juncture in their history.