STRENGTHEN OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

By Philip J. Avillo, Jr.

The greatest obstacle preventing our country from achieving greater national security is our continued occupation of Iraq. Few Americans today doubt the disastrous consequences of our ill-advised and mismanaged invasion of that hapless country.

Today, the majority of the American people understand that if we are create real national security, the United States needs a different strategy in Iraq. That strategy must be built around 3 elements - military redeployment, diplomatic initiatives, and a commitment on the part of the American people to assume the responsibility for ending the war in Iraq.

Begin by initiating a full-fledged diplomatic effort, both in the mid-East and the rest of the world. All the countries in the mid-East have a stake in a stable Iraq. Get all of them to the table, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and yes, even Syria and Iran. Forge a plan for establishing and monitoring stability in Iraq and receive from these countries both economic and personnel commitments to make that happen.

Equally important, we must ask our traditional allies for assistance. Remind them, too, of the importance to their own security of a stable Iraq and the need for them to participate in our efforts to achieve that goal.

And, yes, of course, the Iraqis need to know that this is their house and that the United States has done all that it can to give them an opportunity to be an independent, sovereign, and democratic nation. They need to take responsibility for themselves, reassured that the United States, their neighbors, and others around the world will continue to assist them as they forge their own path.

Concurrently, we must establish our credibility with this international community and initiate immediately a draw-down of American military forces in Iraq. Not haphazardly, of course, but through a carefully thought out plan that ensures their safety and provides for a smooth transition of their responsibilities to the Iraqi people.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Seven years after the September 11 attacks on our country, our national security system remains too narrowly focused and leaves our country vulnerable in too many areas. My efforts will be directed toward providing leadership and implementing legislation that:

• refreshes, restores, and rebuilds our service men and women stretched too thin by 5 years of extended warfare in Iraq (see above),
• emphasizes every American's shared responsibility to contribute to the security of our nation, for as one Iraq war veteran noted recently, "our country is not at war. The military is at war. The rest of the country is at the mall."
• initiates an intensive diplomatic effort world-wide to create a true coalition of nations around the world that is willing and eager to assist us in crushing terrorism and establishing real global security,
• provides national standards for securing chemical plants, railroad stations, airline luggage, and shipping containers entering the United States,
• strengthens our borders

Combine these with the American people's unmatched generosity of heart and spirit and resurrect this formula that offers not only our own citizens, but those of the global community as well, security for our families, opportunities to pursue our dreams, and confidence in an unlimited future.