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I agree that Islam has a lot of built-in doozies that make it easy to justify just about any action that would be considered counter to a stable and healthy society.

I am inclined, however, to believe the same as the President, and that is that Freedom is inherently desired by all people, regardless of their faith, their economic status, or their country of origin. In the long run, the trend is for people to want to be free, and that the trend is overwhelming when given a chance to prosper.

Oppressive regimes where the civilians have parity with the government's security forces are easily overthrown. Modern regimes, however, have a force disparity in their favor, which makes such revolutions nearly impossible these days. Thus, outside assistance of a force majeure, figuratively speaking, are now necessary in assisting those who want to be free.

To be fair, we are only beginning to understand how to build Democracies out of former theocracies, and dictatorships. Mistakes will be made. I think that our exceptional successes in Japan and Germany clouded our perceptions of the problems that we would face in Iraq. We knew it would be difficult, and that it would take time. We did not anticipate the degree to which the local population would be neutral to our efforts. But that neutrality is eroding as the obvious sovereignty exhibited by their new government is exercised. Whereas the neutrality has as much to do with the distasteful fact that we were occupiers in their country, as to the fact that after decades of oppression and negative propaganda against us, even those inclined to help us held back while they waited for a clearer sign of things to come.

I think the signs the people have been waiting for are really converging, and Iraq is going to come together strongly into a Federalist country. Iran is playing into this by rattling their sabres, creating an external threat. Sunni and Shia Iraqis generally agree that they are Iraqi. The Kurds, as I understand it, tend to vary on that issue - generally considering themselves Kurds. But it should become quite obvious even to the Kurds that the cumulative security of Iraq is better than attempting to become an independent country that will be embroiled in a state of war for the foreseeable future. Peace within an Iraq where they have not only a voice, but a proportional number of votes, and the ability to contribute to public policy, is preferable to fighting a war for independence, and then fighting to keep their independence, and their oil.