Published 13 September 05

Why we are here

By Colonel John D. Folsom
Special to World Defense Review

There has been much discussion among the American People of why our military and State Department personnel are deployed in Iraq. While some offer cynical views, mostly for partisan reasons, others are closer to the mark and deserve consideration.

There are four main reasons that we are here:

The first is to help the Iraqi people create a nation that respects the rule of law, ensures that its citizens have the rights that we have for so long taken for granted in our own country, and to ensure they are a member in good standing of the world community.

Iraq was a failed state and could not be allowed to exist as a failed state simply for the sake of stability and security in the Middle East. This region depended – and depends – on Iraq’s success.

Creating a nation of laws from a failed state is a difficult challenge, as Iraqis have no memory or history of living in such a nation. The basic political and economic liberties, which we Americans enjoy has been non-existent. One would be culturally chauvinistic to believe that only America or Western nations are capable of creating governments that are representative of and by their people.

The second reason closely follows the first and is actually the underpinnings of a free nation. The Iraqi people must govern themselves through their elected representatives and leaders. While this may not be easy, and it wasn’t easy for our country, it is essential. With the proper mentoring and partnership, they will succeed. Without the Iraqi people governing themselves, there can be no real freedom and Iraq, as a nation, will fail to achieve its potential as a nation of laws.

Third, we are here to defend Iraqi freedom-of-speech and peaceful expression. This cause is closely related to the second. Without the freedom to express one’s self in the public forum, ideas cannot be shared, debated and otherwise given voice. While vox populi is a noble ideal, the sine qua non of any truly free nation, it cannot be had without paying a price. That price for the Iraqi people was the toppling of a brutal and sadistic dictator and the violent struggle that continues today against a collection of anarchists, foreign fighters, and remnants of a toppled regime.

The final reason that we are here is two-fold. We must provide for the basic security of the Iraqi people and their institutions and at the same time train, equip, and partner with a nascent Iraqi security force. There are challenges that must be met. One is to ensure that those Iraqis we train know and understand that basic rights must be recognized and respected while they discharge their duties. This comes from their recognition of the rule of law and a respect for those institutions.

The establishment of security forces to ensure that the lawless and those who would undermine a peaceful and well-governed Iraq is essential. It is the most important of our missions. Without security and domestic tranquility, no nation can peacefully exist. With our assistance, the Iraqi security forces will best those who seek to undermine, intimidate, and disrupt the creation of an Iraqi nation that embodies freedom of speech, respect of its people, respect for the rule of law and peaceful coexistence with its neighbors.

The Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who are deployed here may not express it in the terms I have, but they know it. They know that their mission will have historic and long lasting consequences. They are making history and a free and functional Iraq will be their legacy.

— Col. John D. Folsom is a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve officer currently on active duty in Iraq. He is the president of Wounded Warriors, a Nebraska-based non-profit corporation. The views expressed here are his and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Marine Corps or the Departments of Defense and Navy.

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© 2005 John D. Folsom