The fourth war, between Sunni “insurgents” (terrorists, in fact) and
Shia death squads and militias, broke out in earnest after the bombing
of a major Shia shrine, the Golden Mosque of Samarra, in February
2006—a decisive event in which al-Qaeda operatives seem to have played
a part. The second, third, and fourth wars continue to overlap.

One of the less-than-helpful media games that
has confused debate on Iraq these past five years is to demand of
politicians whether Iraq was a “war of necessity” or a “war of choice.”
The fact is that it was both. It cannot be seriously doubted that a
revitalized Saddam Hussein regime that had successfully defied more
than a decade of U...

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The fourth war, between Sunni “insurgents” (terrorists, in fact) and
Shia death squads and militias, broke out in earnest after the bombing
of a major Shia shrine, the Golden Mosque of Samarra, in February
2006—a decisive event in which al-Qaeda operatives seem to have played
a part. The second, third, and fourth wars continue to overlap.

One of the less-than-helpful media games that
has confused debate on Iraq these past five years is to demand of
politicians whether Iraq was a “war of necessity” or a “war of choice.”
The fact is that it was both. It cannot be seriously doubted that a
revitalized Saddam Hussein regime that had successfully defied more
than a decade of U.N. sanctions would have been a mortal peril to its
neighbors and to world order. Regime change in Iraq was a necessity. It
was necessary for the people of Iraq; it was necessary for peace in the
Middle East; it was necessary to vindicate the fragile steps toward
world order that had been taken since Eisenhower’s staff wore those
flaming-sword shoulder badges; and it was necessary in order to
challenge an Arab political culture warped by irresponsibility,
authoritarian brutality, rage, and self-delusion—out of which had
emerged, among other things, contemporary Jihadism.

The only choices in the matter were about who
and when: Who would depose Saddam Hussein and his regime? Would they
act under yet another U.N. resolution? And when would Saddam and his
regime be taken down?