Take a look at a map of the Middle East through a military mind, and take note of the countries that border Iraq and Afghanistan, see a pattern? America is now within striking distance of modern day threats to global stability and progress. Politics aside, while controversial, the Bush administration’s strategies along with the American troops, Military technologies, and intelligence agencies have  secured the Middle East for future generations to come; We now have the capability to protect American interests over the Middle East like never before. 

 

 

Over time, hopefully, the American presence in those countries will allow for civil coexistence as we now see across Europe and Asia however, until then, America should never release the grip that it now has over that region, the world is simply not ready for that yet. However, that control, that presence is the real victory that America has over Bin Laden’s Jihad, that’s how the victory is measured. He wanted America out of the region, and has  failed to achieve it and instead strengthened it.  As for Iraq, while this was indeed a political debacle due to failed intelligence, the victory is measured by the foothold and access to oceans, terrorist cells, and neighboring regimes that pose a threat to stability in decades to come.