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Which is why all the talk of us "leaving Iraq soon" is foolishness. We didn't leave Germany after a few months -- because if we did the Nazis would have resurfaced. We didn't leave Japan after a few months -- because if we did the "militarists" would have resurfaced. In Iraq -- if we leave the Islamofacists will rise and we will have another Iran on our hands, but not like Iran now, rather like Iran was in the early '80s. It would be pointless to depose Saddam, and have as his replacement another Islamofacist state that hates us.

Besides - we need physical bases there. That way we can pull our people out of Saudi Arabia, put them into those bases we have captured in the deserts of western Iraq. Then we can deal with the Saudis.

What has to be instituted in Iraq is a western-style form of government. That means is must be a pluralistic form of government like western countries that respects the rights of all Iraqis. It does not mean that fundamentlalists cannot be rulers of Iraq, it simply means that the rights of all Iraqi citizens not to be oppressed by other Iraqis must be emphasized. If radicals take over and organize an anti-American terrorist government like Iran, our choice will be to depose it by force if necessary. Hopefully we can forestall that eventuality.

I'm certainly not predicting an easy, smooth road to democracy in Iraq. I am saying though that we must attempt to impose it. I certainly won't be shocked at rough times ahead. But remember, Japan never knew democracy before we imposed it. According to experts, if they are experts, Iraq is the one Arab-Muslim country where democracy has a chance. We'll see. But in any event, we cannot have any more Irans. These Iraqi mullahs may find that out the hard way.