David Brooks points out in the New York Times that the Zarqzwi Rules (Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda leader in Iraq) include this:

Massive retaliation works. We now know that Saddam Hussein felt free to defy the international community because he thought that casualty-averse Americans would never actually invade his country. At worst, we'd drop a few bombs, which he could survive. Now our enemies know us better, and respect us more. "America, however, has no intention of leaving, no matter how many wounded nor how bloody it becomes," Zarqawi warns his colleagues. This shift in perceptions should deter some attacks all by itself.

How did Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein reach the conclusion we would not invade or leave if the casualty rate got to be too high? Obviously by watching large anti-war demonstrations that would constantly decry the losses we are suffering or would suffer. Hussein and Zarqawi thought by killing enough of our troops the anti-war people, who have impressively massed thousands in the streets with Bush bashing posters, would prevail and President Bush would have to withdraw. President Bush however has been steadfastly resolute.

Now Zarqawi is caught up in a quagmire of his own making. We are standing fast and slowly and surely depleting his forces and resources and it certainly appears that the anti-war people are not going to get their way. We are not leaving and President Bush is likely to be in office another 4 years.

The level of violence in Iraqwould have never achieved the level it did without the anti-war groups' help. Coalition forces would have restored order by now and we would be well on our way to getting out of Iraq. Instead our troops and the Iraqi people are being subjected to daily attacks because the terrorists still are holding out hope that the anti-war people will continue to stab President Bush in the back and eventually cause the US to leave so they can run the country themselves. Without the anti-war groups' help they do not have a chance to win. The anti-war groups could care less about the Iraqis. Their main objective is not to help the people of Iraq and to save American and Iraqi lives. The objective has nothing to do with war. There objective is to bring down President Bush. To them if a few more Americans and Iraqis die and they achieve their goal who cares?