Troops In

The Iraqi President Jalal Talabani says in the Times that reforming Iraq, restoring a society distorted by fascism, was never going to be easy, asks Britain to keep its troops in Iraq and concludes that building democracy in Iraq is not a fanciful quest, but a recognition that all other approaches have failed. True stability comes from consent, not from the illusory “stability” of dictatorships. It is therefore in our mutual interest that we pursue the cause of democracy. We may falter, we may tire, but if we persevere, we shall not be defeated.