Saddam was captured this morning. No doubt there's been a sigh of relief in Washington. But most importantly, the majority of Iraqis must be feeling more safe and secure. Is it necessary to remind eveyone of why Iraqis would feel relief in light of Saddam's legacy?

An estimated 300,000 dead Iraqis lay in some 260 mass graves, 40 of which have been confirmed to date. Saddam's rule meant torture chambers, dropping poison gas on civilians, starting an 8-year war with Iran which claimed a million lives, etc.

Imagine if Hitler would've been running around in post-war Germany. Kind of unsettling, no? Saddam's capture is indeed a great step forward in rebuilding Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition has already made great strides in improving the lives or Iraqis in terms of electricity, water systems, sanitation, healthcare, police protection, food, and education. And yet the Left clammors for early withdrawal from Iraq, claiming the U.S. is there to spend "blood for oil."

I assume if they could now turn back the clock to 1945, they'd be clamoring to get us out of Germany. Cut and run in Iraq now? That's crazy. Major hostilities ended there only 8 months ago. Has the Left already forgotten the post-WWII U.S. occupation of Germany? It wasn't exactly easy.

The Heritage Foundation reminds us about post-war Germany: At least 39 U.S. servicemen were killed by the Nazi "Werwolf" resistance movement in the fisrt few months of the occupation. Additionally,

And Werwolves weren’t the only problem. Violent crime, thievery and black-marketing were rampant. Germans incessantly complained to U.S. military officials about inadequate public safety. And these threats paled in comparison to the physical privations. Many feared masses of Germans would freeze or starve to death in the first winter after the war. To suggest that the first year of occupation was anything less than a dreadful, harrowing experience for many Germans is just bad history.

Yes, occupation was a tough business, but long-term it was a great success. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Things will get better if we hang in there and be patient. Leaving early means total disaster.