The Bottom line.

Many regimes throughout the world. Many people (especially on the political left) question the war in Iraq, and the War on Terror generally. But also, there are many of us who view the War on Terror, Iraq and Afghanistan as better than the alternatives. Those alternatives being a regime like the Taliban still in place and aiding world terrorism, and a nasty dictator in place in Iraq. There are worse things than war. As the world saw in 1939, failing to draw a line can make the final reckoning worse, and make the suffering of people worse. Would not the world have been a much better place if we had collectively stood up to Nazi Germany and fascist Italy earlier - say 1933 or so? If we had clearly told Japan that it had gone too far in China and Manchuria in 1933? Perhaps war, and the tens of millions of deaths that followed, perhaps even the Holocaust, could have been avoided?

Assertive diplomacy, backed by military strength can be a force for good. Early and decisive action sooner rather than later, can correct a tendency to slip towards darkness. There are alternatives worse than war.

In Afghanistan, a repressive regime was toppled and Afghanis got a chance many of us take for granted. A vote.

Afghan men waiting to vote in nation's first election

And in Iraq, after the ousting of Saddam, they also got a chance at self determination;

The bottom line, I think history will say that the better of the available choices was made.