As the argument about whether or not to pull out of Iraq and when, one of the questions that need to be addressed is the question of what defines success?  The Bush administration says the troops will leave "when the Iraqis are ready" and doesn't get any more explicit than that.  Hawks argue that the only effective strategy is to hunt down the terrorists and kill them.  Many progressives argue that the only sane strategy is to get out, and right now, before anyone else is killed.

For the moment, I'm going to step back from that argument, and describe a vision of what Iraq could be in an ideal world.  In short, what would be a successful outcome in Iraq? Why?  Because without defining the desired endpoint, it's a bit pointless to argue about strategy to get there.

There outcome I would envision in Iraq (however we get there), might look something like this:

First, Iraq as a country would be fully sovereign.  That, of course, is the essential requirement of any nation-state, and it is a state Iraq does not have now.  Neither Americans, nor the U.N. or any other entity would hold veto power over Iraq, its people or its natural resources.  Foreign military forces (including the United States) would no longer be in the country.

Second, Iraq's government would be recognized as legitimate by the vast majority of its people.  Whether Iraq's government ends up as a democracy or a theocracy or something in between, a genuine settlement of the war would require that the vast majority of its people recognized its legitimacy. 

Third, the Iraqi people themselves would determine their fate and direction.  They would write their own constitution, conduct their own affairs, and would be free to do so without interference of any outsider. Political inclusion and protection of minorities would be the rule, because anything short of that might ultimately mean civil war.

Fourth, Iraq's economy would be repaired to the point where the economy was recovering and jobs were available for all.  The crushing economic devastation the country faces would be largely repaired. With full control over its own natural resources, Iraqis would determine the fate of their oil, their economy and their lives.

Fifth, the state would own a monopoly on violence.  In short, the legitimate Iraqi authorities would be trained, equipped and motivated to provide security for their own people.  Iraqis would not be afraid to go to the grocery, to school, or to vote.  Militias and private armies would be disbanded, co-opted by the government or disarmed. 

Sixth, the Iraqi infrastructure would be repaired and refurbished to at least the state it was prior to the 1991 Gulf War, with working electricity, well equipped hospitals, clean water, and all of the other needs of any modern nation-state.

Seventh and finally, Iraq's governing institutions, the courts and security services would be strong institutions, capable of resolving problems through the rule of law instead of the fist,

Many have (and will) argued that these things are not the goals of the Bush administration or the neocons -- they are a cover story for a desire to dominate the region. That may be true.  However, as I've described them, they are reasonable and moral goals.  They are also the goals which many in the human rights community have been pushing for many years. And, regardless of what we may believe about the administration, they are the goals our service-members believe they are fighting, and dying, for.  After talking to hundreds of American soldiers in the last two years, both in and out of Iraq, the common thread is that they are idealists and are doing their level best to help the Iraqis. Nothing about the war has changed that.

I don't trust the motives of the administration any more than most progressives do.  But President Bush has talked over and over again about democracy.  Many oppose him by calling for immediate withdrawal, because he is lying.  I oppose him by pushing to hold him to his words.  If the President says he wants freedom and democracy in Iraq, I say, "Show me." 

So, to the President, I say, you want Iraq to be a free and sovereign state, then show me.

You want Iraqis to have a decent chance at life, liberty and happiness?  Show me.

That’s the approach.  I've said over and over again I don't believe there is a military solution, and will write more about how we believe it could be done.  The biggest piece is putting the decision making and the money in the hands of the Iraqis themselves.