(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
At the time when troops were ready to enter the country, I saw the counter-arguments, but found that the best reasons spoke in favor of disarming Saddam Hussein's brutal regime. I never thought that the war could be legitimized for one particular reason, but had many individual factors that led me to support the decision: the danger of weapons of mass destruction, Hussein's lack of cooperation, compliance with UN resolutions, and – perhaps most importantly – mine humanistic principles that one should not accept oppression and dictatorship, no matter where it happens in the world.
When the action was started, however, I was never in doubt: Once you have started the procedure, you also have to complete it properly. Regardless, it will take a long time. In Norway, the government has withdrawn Norwegian contributions and expressed that the Iraq intervention is a lost project. I think this is an easy conclusion. Looking at the current state, much has been corrected over the past year. After the US launched the escalation The Surge with 30.000 more soldiers, there is reason to point out the following that has not been highlighted in the Norwegian media: Since June last year, the number of terrorist attacks has been reduced by 60 percent. Over the past eight months, civilian deaths have decreased by as much as 70 percent; the same goes for military personnel.
Progress has not only come in the military. Since the intervention began in 2003, Iraq has acquired 30.000 new companies. Oil production is on the rise, for the benefit of the country's inhabitants. Calculations now indicate that economic growth this year will be an incredible seven percent. This has increased the wealth of Iraqis most, but also of public programs: Over the past three years, the progress has led Iraq to double its state budget. This development is also reflected in how the Iraqis perceive the situation. In a recent BBC poll, 50 percent say life in Iraq is good or very good, which is more than ever in the past three years.
The job, on the other hand, is not over. People are still living under the threat of terrorist attacks. Fortunately, the daily terrorism is not happening now from the authorities. In the past, people hid in walls and caves to avoid persecution by the state's torturers, but today the state's henchmen are involved in the work for peace. "Peace" was also the main slogan for the opponents of the war against Iraq. However, the term "peace" becomes empty of content when it means that dictators should be able to develop weapons in peace and mistreat the population without protests. War is sometimes a necessary evil. To put it with Aristotle: "We work to be free, and we are waging war to live in peace."
The fact that there is not yet complete peace is not an argument for withdrawing American and British forces. On the contrary. No one today believes that there is a definitive military solution for Iraq. But military forces must be present to ensure that civilian and humanitarian work can function without the risk of terrorist attacks. This is also the reason why less than 40 percent of Iraqis want an immediate withdrawal of foreign troops. Continued presence is therefore a prerequisite for further success. Neither Iraq nor the free world can bear the loss of this war.
