Hope springs eternal

Submitted by gjs (United States), Apr 14, 2004 at 00:14

Dear Daniel Pipes:
I can't believe you counseled the U.S. to leave Iraq now. I've been reading your site for the past two years and that advice seems so out of character for you. So defeatist. I look to you not only for information about militant Islam but also as a source of hope.

Today that hope was dashed when you said, in essence, that it's impossible for Muslims to change so the best thing to do is just throw in the towel and go home.

I agree what we're seeing in Iraq recently looks pretty bad -- mutilations, uprisings, hostage takings -- but al-Sadr hasn't managed to ignite the country and, so far, most Iraqis are rejecting his rebellion and holding fast. We have to be thankful for that and support the vast majority of Iraqis as they struggle for change.

Leaving Iraq now in its current condition would be the worse thing we could do to them, to us, to the world. Unless I've been misreading you, I thought that's what you believed, too.

We have to "stay the course." And we have to believe it will work.
gjs

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