The killing of Izzadine Saleem, head of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, should steel the United States' resolve to stabilize and secure Iraq as it prepares for the planned transfer of sovereignty on June 30.
Although the United States cannot police Iraq indefinitely, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz says the next year to year and a half will be critical in training and fortifying Iraqi security forces and electing a government to succeed interim leaders scheduled to be installed next month.
Some pundits say the attack is further evidence of resistance to U.S.-led efforts. In truth, the terrorist attack was aimed at a fellow Iraqi. If anything, it illustrates why the United States' presence is needed, to quell terrorist uprisings and guerrilla attacks until a sufficient government infrastructure is in place to hand over power of the war-torn country to its people.
As the June 30 deadline draws near, administration officials are aware of the steep challenges that remain. Troops are struggling to contain uprisings in the Shiite heartland to the south and ongoing violence in Sunni areas north and west of Baghdad.
Work continues to assemble 30 people agreeable to Iraqis to serve as president, prime minister, two presidents and heads of 26 ministries in the interim government. They will hold the positions until elections can be conducted.
Another of the ongoing issues is maintaining the support of Congress and the American people. As Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., intoned at the start of a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "With lives being lost and billions of dollars being spent in Iraq, the American people must be confident that we have carefully thought through an Iraq policy that will optimize our prospects for success." Lugar is chairman of the committee.
Lugar is correct in that the United States' policy in Iraq must be workable and sound. Although there have been many stumbles in the U.S.-led efforts to free Iraq from a ruthless dictatorship and establish a democratically elected government, the cause of freedom demands that the coalition remain committed to the task.