Settling all bets on the war with Iraq

One year ago, as the war in Iraq raged, I was studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa. Living with 20 other foreign students certainly made for vigorous debates. Every night by the TV sat a group spanning the spectrum from dreadlocked antiwar activists to the more hawkish, such as myself.

As we watched and debated, certain bets were made about the future.

One year later, I think it's fair for those bets to be called in and the proper lessons learned. Which bets were dead on, which were dead wrong, and which are still in play:

Weapons of mass destruction

I was wrong on this one, big time. I assumed that warehouses full of deadly toxins would turn up postwar. It remains to be seen why Saddam destroyed his known stockpiles while refusing full inspections that might have saved him. On the other hand, the Bush White House has shown on many issues a disturbing willingness to distort and selectively use facts to their advantage; the resulting credibility gap may cost them dearly in November and has left the world dangerously cynical about the very real threat of WMDs, rogue nations and terrorists.

Democracy in Iraq

It's frankly too early to tell, but I feel relatively good about my bet. Like other "liberal hawks," I supported the war not because Saddam was behind 9/11 but because the dysfunctions of the Middle East were what created the climate that produced 9/11. By building a prosperous, democratic Iraq in the heart of the Mideast, we can start to change the region's dynamics. While the reconstruction's shoddy planning and reckless hubris are dismaying, my take is that things are still going pretty well.

Those who only pay attention to Iraq when there's a bombing are missing the wider picture and some very impressive achievements: a rebounding economy and an explosion of consumer goods, previously unheard of freedoms, the most liberal constitution in the Middle East, etc.

While every death is certainly tragic, if we cannot tolerate even 600 deaths in such a grand and noble undertaking (compared to over 30,000 lives in the Korean War) then we truly are a paper tiger, as bin Laden has argued. Yes, there are many problems and dangers, but overall, I am proud of America's role in bringing freedom and new hope to millions of people. Don't just take my word for it. A recent poll by the (antiwar) BBC showed that a majority of Iraqis feel their lives have improved; even more expect greater future improvements. Most Iraqis are glad the U.S. removed Saddam's jackboot from their throats.

Anti-Americanism

The bet is still out on whether this sad disease will weaken or further strengthen, but for now, it has certainly worsened. Too many Europeans feel that terrorist attacks are America's fault for stirring up the hornet's nest of terrorism. Sadly, many Spaniards say they hope their troop pullout will make the terrorists just leave them alone, as if a separate peace were possible with these fanatics.

While criticism of our policies is legitimate, dislike — even hatred — of President Bush is no excuse for decades of American aid, friendship and lives lost in common struggles to suddenly mean so little. A recent Pew poll found that most Europeans feel the war on terror isn't really about fighting terror but about U.S. world domination! In South Africa, I was hurt to see an antiwar student wearing a shirt picturing a heroic-looking Osama bin Laden and the line "I didn't do it": "it" being 9/11.

Has it really come to this? Bin Laden as the new Che Guevara, a romantic knight of anti-Americanism? While President Bush deserves his fair share of blame, it's striking how quickly America's friends have turned on us because of one flawed president. So would I now bet against America in this epic struggle, you ask? Never. America — in her heart and best moments — has always bet on freedom, justice, and the innate goodness of people.

As a nation we have made that bet on behalf of the Iraqi people, and though the game may take decades to play out, as an American, this is one bet I'm proud to make every time. Matthew Schonfield is a Wilson School major from Los Angeles. Email him at mschonfi@princeton.edu.