• Iraq is a battle in our generational, ideological war on terror.
• The Democrats deny that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror even as we fight Al Qaeda there. Al Qaeda seeks permanent bases in Anbar province to plot and train against us.
• General Petraeus and our troops are giving their all to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraq government to succeed, while the Democrats are running for the exit doors.
• The surge is a military means to achieve the political end of sectarian reconciliation among the Iraqis.
• Setting a timetable for withdrawal is a mistake. This country has never declared war until "a week from Wednesday," we have always declared war until victory.
• I am focused on winning. Withdrawal would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis.
• I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors become militarily and financially committed to stabilizing Iraq.

Iraq is a battle in our generational, ideological war on terror. TheDemocrats delusionally deny that the war in Iraq is part of the war onterror even as we fight Al Qaeda there. Al Qaeda is a major ally of theSunni insurgents in their fight against the Shiite majority. One of themost significant events in the Iraq War was Al Qaeda's bombing of theShiites' Golden Mosque in Samarra in February 2006. That bombing led tothe dramatic rise in sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiiteswe've seen ever since, furthering Al Qaeda's goal of fomenting chaosand civil war. What's in it for them? They need territory, a place toplot their evil and train their murderers for another September 11. AlQaeda intends to keep and expand its bases in the Sunni area of Anbarprovince. But we've made great progress in denying Al Qaeda that Anbarsanctuary, where the Commandant of the Marines, General Conway, saysthat "we have turned the corner." Fourteen of Anbar's eighteen triballeaders no longer support Al Qaeda.

General Petraeus and our troops are giving their all to provide awindow of opportunity for the Iraqi government to succeed, while theDemocrats are running for the exit doors. The surge has only been inplace since the middle of June, but progress has already been made.It's way too early to write an obituary for the surge as the Democratdefeatists are doing. Having unanimously confirmed General Petraeus tolead the surge, the Democrats should let him do the job they sent himto do and await his report in mid-September. They're Monday morningquarterbacking while we're still playing the game, and some of us areplaying to win.

To pressure the Iraqis into seizing the day before darknessdescends, President Bush and Secretary Gates have been emphatic thatthis window will not remain open forever. At the same time, setting atimetable for withdrawal tells our enemies they don't have to win, theyjust have to wait. We have never in our history declared war until "aweek from Wednesday," we have always declared war until victory.

I am focused on winning. Withdrawal would have serious strategicconsequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for theIraqis. If we leave, Iraq's neighbors on all sides will face a refugeecrisis and be drawn into the war: Iran to protect the Shiites; SaudiArabia, Egypt, and Jordan to protect the Sunnis; and Turkey to protectits control over its own Kurd population. Iraq is a crossroads whereArab meets Persian and Kurd, Sunni meets Shiite, so if it's not apeaceful buffer, it can easily become a tinder box for the region. Whenwe deposed Saddam, we emphasized Iraq's central location as a primeplace to establish democracy and have it spread. That was the potentialdramatic upside. Now we're faced with the potential dramatic downsidethat the terrorists are fighting to take advantage of: Iraq's centrallocation as a prime place to create chaos and have it spread .

I support a regional summit so that Iraq's neighbors becomefinancially and militarily committed to stabilizing Iraq now ratherthan financially and militarily committed to widening the war later.This summit will add more voices, Muslim voices, to the pressure toperform we're already applying to the Maliki government.