Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking about the people who live in the Middle East, especially Iran and now Iraq. With so much of the world’s attention focused elsewhere — the disputed elections in Iran, the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, the ongoing saga surrounding South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford — the fragile transition taking shape in Iraq has not made much national headlines.

With more than 4,300 American soldiers killed and 31,000 injured in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003, it’s too bad the Iraqi people chose to use the withdrawal as a cause for celebrating their national sovereignty without so much as one acknowledgment regarding the ultimate sacrifice our men and women in uniform made in securing that sovereignty.

Given the cost in U.S. blood, as well as the resources and the nearly a trillion dollars the United States has spent defending Iraq from its enemies outside and within its borders, one would have hoped that the Iraqi people would have been a bit more gracious and grateful.

In a nationally televised address to his people, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stated, “Those who think that Iraqis are incapable of protecting security in their country and that the withdrawal of foreign forces will leave a security vacuum which will be difficult for Iraqi forces to fill are making a grave mistake.” Let’s hope so.

What has been missing isn’t an American military presence in Iraq’s major cities but rather an aggressive and successful civilian and diplomatic mission within Iraq, which is why President Obama sent Vice President Joe Biden to spend the Fourth of July in Iraq as part of a two-day visit to meet with Iraqi officials and troops to help foster efforts at political reconciliation. The timing is not a coincidence, underscoring both countries shared cause for celebration of independence and sovereignty.

As most Americans long ago concluded, the war in Iraq was a mistake. President Obama, who inherited the whole mess from the previous administration, has taken the correct course of action by completing the withdrawal. Nevertheless, we should expect more violence to erupt as opportunistic forces attempt to take advantage of U.S. troop withdrawal from urban areas. The United States, however, must remain firm in allowing the Iraqi leaders to establish order with a new chain of command that will empower its troops and security apparatus.

Of course, this will not and must not preclude the Obama administration from working with the Iraqi leaders to ensure they are providing the essential services their people will demand, which includes security.

The U.S. mission is not yet completed, but the withdrawal of our troops is a major turning point for the future of Iraq. With a deadline set by both nations last year for the eventual withdrawal of our forces by the end of 2011, it’s time to get the policy right. And that starts with Iraq taking command of its own country and destiny.

Donna Brazile is a political commentator on CNN, ABC and NPR; contributing columnist to Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill; and former campaign manager for Al Gore.

Copyright 2009, Donna Brazile.

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