I take the Christian Science Monitor as my “afternoon paper” (call me old-fashioned, I like newspapers arriving at my mailbox for pre-dinner reading). It’s largely because of the Monitor’s eclectic mix of international stories. Its coverage of Africa is particularly distinctive, and welcome. But sometimes the op-ed page stands out. Today is a good example. Army National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Brady writes passionately about his service in Northern Iraq and why he believes the U.S. should remain to complete the mission for which it is sacrificed precious lives and resources. His is not a blanket apologia for the policy, but he argues for persistence:

Politicians and thoughtful citizens alike decry US losses, and no one denies the fact that even a single American life is a high price to pay for the security of a foreign country half a world away. I’ve attended my fair share of “ramp ceremonies” where a thousand soldiers stand for hours at the position of attention well past midnight and salute a fallen comrade’s casket being carried aboard a plane for the final journey home. With the possible exception of family, no one feels the loss any keener than a fellow squad or platoon mate. The reasons America got involved in Iraq may be suspect. But US forces are here, parts of the country are still broken, and regional security may hang in the balance if we don’t stay and help the Iraqis fix it. The effort is succeeding in the north, and it can in the rest of Iraq as well. America’s forefathers had help from other nations when the United States was born. Allow us to continue to help Iraq be reborn.