Excerpted From Hugh Hewitt's blog

By Tom Clarkson
Gulf Region Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

It is one of the nicest gestures I have ever observed. My Iraqi friends indicate that it has no name. But it is the traditional, Arabic, slight bow, accompanied by the hand being placed over the center of one’s chest, when greeting a friend. It, generally, is reserved for those one cares for and wishes to show themselves as “humbly appreciative for the honor of their familiarity.” It’s a greeting well worthy of consideration by others.

A peaceful, soft voiced and extremely intelligent Iraqi gentleman, with whom I have had the honor to become acquainted, recently shared several insightful thoughts with me. At the core of his comments was the Arabic saying, “People of Mecca know its mountains better than the others.” What that means, he explained, is that each of us knows what is best for ourselves significantly better than do others, no matter how well intentioned they may be. This is wise counsel – for people and countries alike.

When asked the nature of the insurgents and how they should best be handled, this same individual thought for some time and said, “Iraqis do not understand why those who are caught in murderous acts of insurgency and killing innocent civilians, are not being dealt with immediately and decisively. Such is the Islamic way. Allowing them, all too often, to escape justice or to get off lightly, though they have killed many, only emboldens them and makes a mockery of the legal process.” It seems that the Old Testament “eye for an eye” closely parallels Islamic thought regarding basic, simple justice.

Now based on forty-five days of observation here, I feel the necessity to assert some personal beliefs/concerns, as follows:

How easy it is for those comfortably ensconced in the security of their air conditioned living rooms, with TV controls upon their laps and a laugh track sit-com blaring before them, to haughtily proclaim, “Let the Iraqis do it for themselves. It’s their problem not ours.” If those who enjoy the fruits of freedom are not ready to help those who seek it, then who?

The many Iraqis who bravely are standing up for their beliefs face uncertainties unimagined by those snack munching, video playing multitudes back home who are several generations removed from our country’s own struggles to attain democracy.

Too often, too many of us give cursory indication of appreciation to phrases such as that one poignantly etched upon the Korean Monument on the Mall in Washington, D.C., “Freedom is not Free.” Here in Iraq, one is daily reminded, that this is much more than mere words.

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing which for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his person safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873