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In fact, things are moving along rather well in Iraq. Nothing is perfect, of course, and freedom is messy work. The cooperation of the three major interests in Iraq has been remarkable.

And we need to maintain our foothold in the fight against terrorism and terrorist groups and respond to any degradation of Iraqi security or stability.

The bottom line is that after we defeat the armed forces of Iraq, that we will want to and need to provide stability throughout that country.

We have to bring stability to Iraq, otherwise we will be faced with a future dilemma of sending our loved ones into harms way to stop a civil war or the rise of a new tyrant born from the instability that we created.

Leaving Iraq without military assistance during its transition, and before it is stable enough to ensure its own citizens' security, would pose a tremendous risk. We must complete our mission.

We are tangled in a very significant Islamic insurgency in Iraq.

We are running out of time. We need a strategy to win in Iraq or an exit strategy to leave.

A stable Iraq at peace with its neighbors will remain elusive until we improve both the security and the economic environment in Iraq.

Iraq is falling apart.