This substantial success in that quest presents for the US an interesting temptation described in this article posted on the Investor's Business Daily website yesterday.  Pardoxically, the authors are worried that this development could have a negative impact on our role there.

So why are we concerned that the public and politicians back in the States may take such hopeful signs the wrong way? The answer is that success may work, just as failure does, to feed impatience rather than hope.  No matter what happens now in Iraq, it seems to be reported and analyzed here in the context of one overriding goal:  Getting out.

Our proper perspective should not be "get-out-no-matter-what" as John Kerry pushed before this announcement was made public.  Instead we must see getting out as the reward for a job well done, not the job to be done.

Strictly speaking, it's true that even the Bush administration would like to see most U.S. troops out of Iraq in due time.  But it sees departure as the reward for clear-cut success, not as an end in itself.  (emphasis added) Many others seem to have the priorities reversed.  They see that the American public is tired of the war and look for any excuse to bring the troops home fast.  A setback will do.  But so will a sign of progress, which provides a pretext for declaring victory and coming home. Sen. John Kerry managed to cover both those bases earlier this month (before Jaafari broke the leadership deadlock by stepping aside).  If Iraq failed to create a unity government by May 15, he said, U.S. troops should withdraw immediately.  But if the Iraqis meet the deadline, he urged a troop withdrawal by the end of the year — which is about as long as an "immediate" withdrawal would take if done in an orderly way. In other words, we should leave no matter what.

We went to Iraq to remove Saddam and help the Iraqi people establish a democratic form of self-government, not to get in and get out.  That objective has been largely lost to many in this country.  It was and continues to be a noble and worthy objective.  I'm glad those who call the shots have not forgotten it.