Today on CNN’s State of the Union with John King, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraqi National Security Adviser, spoke about progress in Iraq. Al-Rubaie explained what Iraq wants of the U.S. now:

Well, we are all much more intelligent with hindsight and I believe we have now very, very competent and very well trained and equipped, the Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi security forces are leading and doing most of the combat operation now. What we are requiring. Only the high-end very specialized counterterrorism operation and some logistical support, some air fire support, some navy support, that is what we are requiring. And we are building these as we go along and in the next year or so, we will be in a position to take all — to take over all of our country. All the security, all over the country.

It’s difficult if not impossible to imagine al-Rubaie saying the same thing two, or even one year ago. The success of the surge is truly unprecendented in modern history. Together with military leaders like General David Petraeus and top diplomats who understood Iraq’s culture, George W. Bush finally succeeded in stabilizing the war-torn country and bringing formerly warring parties together. General Ray Odierno also appeared at the show, saying he was 100% confident that all American troops will have left Iraq by 2011.

That’s interesting, but what’s even more interesting is the following remark by the Iraqi National Security Adviser:

I don’t want to elaborate on differences, but I believe that the President Obama understands the situation in Iraq and I believe he wanted to stick by the Status of Forces Agreement, the withdrawal agreement and what — his visit to Iraq, it’s a very significant visit. Because this is the first Arab country President Obama paid this visit to and it means a lot to us, because it means the United States government is adhering to the Strategic Framework Agreement and shows the commitment of the United States government towards Iraq and towards helping Iraq.

Iraq is definitely and irreversibly and decisively flying west and in return of the United States government is committing itself to helping Iraq and reconstruct — in the reconstruction and in ensuring its democratic system.

Although Bush and his top advisers have faced a lot of criticism in recent years – with many arguing that Iraq would never be a true, loyal and relatively ideological ally of the West where democracy rules – Al-Rubaie seems to strongly believe that they were right nonetheless. Bush and others have said for years that Iraq would eventually stabilize and that it would become a stable democracy, more focused on the West than on, say, Iran or Saudi Arabia, where two fundamentalist regimes rule.

We have to wait and see whether things will go as al-Rubaie hopes, but if it does, history may indeed vindicate Bush. At least to a significant degree.