I had front row seats for this (recalled to active duty for ‘major combat operations’ in Qatar) so I paid attention.

When “W” said “bring it on,” he bet that the U.S. military and the average Arab citizen in Iraq would stand against the global weight of Islamic fundamentalism. He “stayed the course” until we achieved the equivalence of a total defeat for radical Islam.

President Bush got the big things right immediately after 9-11: his objectives were inspired, his strategy brilliant and, evaluated against the history of warfare, military operations were superb.