Chicago Tribune: The Unfinished War

Raises a very good question...

This much is certain: Suicide bombers will never rule Iraq. But when, many Americans want to know, will Iraqis rule and protect Iraq?

With that question heavy on his nation, President Bush is expected to speak often in the coming days about the future he envisions, both for Iraq and for the young Americans serving there.

Americans re-elected Bush because they trusted his judgment in difficult moments such as this. Yet the insurgents, by sustaining the bloodshed in Iraq and slowing the formation of the new government, haven't just murdered innocents. They also have shaken America's resolve. It is time for the president to step forward.

Bush is not one to quote himself. But he could do worse than explain again what he said in two moments last September, when the January election in Iraq was seriously in doubt. In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, he reminded skittish governments that, "Eventually there is no safety in looking away, seeking the quiet life by ignoring the struggles and oppression of others." Two days later, standing alongside interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, Bush said: "The fundamental question is . . . this: Do we have the will to stay? Really, do we have the will to complete the mission?"