Baghdad and Annapolis

Sometimes it’s hard to express anger clearly. No metaphor, no cliche gets to the very bottom of the well of helpless fury and frustration of watching the fiddlers while Rome burns. (See, cliches don’t work.) But if we told you that we are forced to point out that John Murtha is right, would you have some idea of how angry we find ourselves with Condoleezza Rice and the juxtaposition of Baghdad and Annapolis?

Sometimes it’s hard to express anger clearly. No metaphor, no cliche gets to the very bottom of the well of helpless fury and frustration of watching the fiddlers while Rome burns. (See, cliches don’t work.) But if we told you that we are forced to point out that John Murtha is right, would you have some idea of how angry we find ourselves with Condoleezza Rice and the juxtaposition of Baghdad and Annapolis?

The surge in Iraq is a military accomplishment of extraordinary dimensions. The skill, perseverance and might of our soldiers and their ability to understand and capitalize on new understandings in Iraqi society forced even The New York Times to acknowledge the positive changes in Baghdad. Our soldiers, and Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians paid in blood to create the current breathing space for political progress.

At home, Mr. Murtha grumped, “We can’t win militarily.” He’s right (although entirely for the wrong reasons). “Winning” as far as we are concerned, is the establishment of political stability in Iraq, consensual government, economic progress and the absolute assurance that al Qaeda won’t find the land base in Iraq that Afghanistan had been. And, while we believe we can “win” in Iraq, the military can’t, in fact, do it alone.

So where is American diplomacy? Why isn’t our Secretary of State camped out in Baghdad, teaching, cajoling and pushing the Iraqi parties to do better for their people? Why isn’t she encouraging and threatening the neighbors to use the opportunity to strengthen the center in Iraq, deal the deathblow to al Qaeda and push out the Iranians? Why isn’t she cajoling our European friends (and we have friends) to provide economic and political assistance for the elected government of Iraq as a counterweight to Iranian aspirations? Why isn’t she working to ensure that the political space our soldiers fought and died for isn’t wasted by the diplomats? Where the hell is she?

She’s in Annapolis, busily creating Palestine.

She’s pushing and cajoling on behalf of semi-reformed terrorists who disdain America and our democratic principles. She’s inviting 49 countries to midwife Palestine – don’t mistake this for a conference to establish the legitimacy, security and permanence of Israel in the Middle East. She is wooing Syria, Iran’s lapdog and North Korea’s partner that is in the process of destroying America’s democratic friend Lebanon. If she’s going to invite Junior Assad, she might as well invite Hamas! (That’s sarcasm, Mr. Solarz.) The Saudi Foreign Minister is invited – as if Israel should be impressed to share a table with a representative of a misogynistic, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian tribal autarch – all in the unfounded belief that Palestine will emerge from the muck as an enlightened, democratic and peaceful part of the neighborhood.

Palestine is a terrorist sinkhole, ruled in parts by a corrupt secular dictatorship and a corrupt religious dictatorship – which one rules how much remains unclear, but neither is a proper partner for American financial, military or political support.

Iraq is where the United States made its stand against tyranny and terrorism in the Arab Middle East. With all the mistakes and all the false starts, with all the death and all the destruction, we’re closing in on an Iraqi consensus to be a country of its people. Iraq and its people should have first claim on the time, skill and attention of our Secretary of State.

That she’s spending it elsewhere is infuriating beyond coherent articulation.