Regime change. Done.
Democratic voting process. Done. Now, there's where a lot of people have been deceived. Perhaps it's TV shows like 24 or whatever the hot show back home is these days, that have people believing that this should have all been wrapped up neatly in some predetermined timeframe.
The reality is that no new democracy has ever settled into place without several years of growing pains. This is no different.
These people have had one election to choose their leaders. It was the first time for all of them. Many of them have expressed to me personally that they voted with their hearts and it was a mistake they won't make again. Democracies do not settle in overnight.
The fact is, there has been amazing progress made that the media simply refuses to report. You can find a lot of that information on the milblogs and places like the MNFI site. We are at a point right now where it would be absolutely criminal to surrender.
As for the Iraqis not welcoming us - well, that's also a lot of media bunk. The majority of Iraqis are terrified at the prospect of us leaving right now. Even the Sunni insurgency is coming around now and turning on al Qaeda, which is a HUGE step.
I've been here three and a half years, so there is little the spinners back home can say to influence my opinion. I see the reality and it barely resembles the crap the media spews forth day after day.
I can tell you that the military here on the ground is thoroughly disgusted with the idiots back home calling for surrender because they can see what an incredibly stupid idea it is. There are a few dissenters from that, but they are in a very tiny minority and every one of them has been touted by the media and the left.
Has it been executed perfectly? Of course not. Have there been mistakes made? Certainly. Is it a failure? Absolutely NOT.
Name me one war where there were not mistakes made. This would be even farther along had it not been for the media and the left aiding and encouraging the enemy with their nasty, agenda-driven rhetoric.