By Kit Bond, Special to The Kansas City Star

Before American forces liberated Iraq, murder and mass graves were a way of life under Saddam Hussein. Despite our initial success in defeating the brutal dictator’s forces, a poor and misdirected military strategy allowed the insurgency to gain momentum.

Now, thanks to Gen. David Petraeus’ counterinsurgency strategy, there has been steady progress and American troops have been returning home, including my own son, a Marine who served two tours of duty.

While the progress is impressive, our efforts are far from over. Recent headlines about bombings, killing scores in Baghdad and Kirkuk, are deadly reminders of the challenges ahead.

First, President Barack Obama and Congress must continue to listen to our military commanders on the ground. They understand the strategy better than any official sitting behind a desk thousands of miles away. We will not succeed if Washington micromanages the ground game.

Next, we cannot allow neighboring states — like Iran — to intervene in Iraq’s internal conflicts to advance their own interests. Instead, the United States must bolster Iraq’s political will, enhancing the new democracy’s capacity to defend itself.

Neither can we afford to mismanage the troop withdrawal plan. To President Obama’s credit, he has resisted voices demanding an immediate withdrawal of all troops. Our troops’ fragile victories can easily be undone with hasty moves and an impulsive strategy.

Conventional American combat forces are already scheduled to withdraw from major urban areas in less than a week under the Status of Forces Agreement negotiated by President George Bush and ratified by the Iraqis.

American warfighters’ new mission will be supporting and training the Iraqi Army, law enforcement, and civil servants.

Sectarian divisions remain deeply embedded in every neighborhood. A fair and even-handed election this winter will be Iraq’s first test to prove it can navigate these divisions.

There is more America must do. After years of war and neglect, much of Iraq’s infrastructure has been destroyed and in too many communities basic necessities like clean water are still out of reach.

Providing development assistance will help the Iraqis improve their own lives and is one of the most effective ways we can prove our good will. This approach is what I call Smart Power — the combination of military might with diplomacy, educational exchanges, and economic development.

Smart Power is an effective way to fight radical ideologies like extremist, violent Islam, recognizing that before a person can choose his politics, he has to have enough to eat and a stable community in which to live.

In Congress, I am working to adopt policies that recognize this important truth.

This will require better local public relations. On a recent trip to Iraq, I saw a mosque in Ramadi that American soldiers rebuilt, but was disappointed we had not spread the word about this good news. Terrorists know that the ideological front is as important as the military front.

This is a critical time for the Iraqis and for Americans concerned about our future role there. As our military troops and civilian specialists turn their attention to supporting peace, free elections and economic development in Iraq — all worthy and achievable goals — they will continue to need the support of the president, Congress and the American people.

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond is a Missouri Republican. He wrote this in response to The Star’s editorial series, “A Good Exit: Leaving Iraq.”