Mark Kirk: “I just returned from Iraq and the trend is for the better. The last time I was in Iraq, I was in uniform flying at…”

“I just returned from Iraq and the trend is for the better. The last time I was in Iraq, I was in uniform flying at 20,000 feet and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us. That force is now gone. Now that the allies have won, I think we should follow several key principles. One, the war on terror must be fought overseas and not in America's cities. I come from Chicago, home to America's tallest building. The Sears Tower is still standing, and we want to keep it that way. Second, we must finish the job in Iraq; otherwise, we condemn a future generation of young Americans to refight this war. If Desert Storm had a key lesson, it is that unfinished work ensures a new Middle East war. I think we should make sure that no future generation of Americans has to fight again, and that is why we need to finish what we are doing in Iraq. Our goals must match the best ideals of Americans: an Iraq that does not invade another member of the U.N. each decade; an Iraq that governs by the consent of Iraqis; and an Iraq that cooperates with the United Nations, not confronts it. These are worthy missions and if we accept these missions, we must accept that we need to give our troops the tools they need to complete this job. This is a difficult job. Let us look at Iraq under Saddam. Life expectancy in Iraq totaled just 58 years.…”