WITH THE MAGNIFICENCE of a backdrop that only an American aircraft carrier could offer, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln last week. But America’s deft military campaign to liberate Iraq will not be considered complete or just in the Arab world without implementing an equally well-planned strategy and campaign to win the peace. The blueprint for winning the peace will revolve around bringing to life a federalist constitution that devolves power to Iraq’s ethnically and religiously diverse people, insuring a system of justice that can equitably apply the rule of law to all its citizens, structuring a free-market economic system that encourages merit and uses Iraq’s oil resources for the good of the people, and redefining the role of religion in society so it becomes a force for moral healing and unity rather than sowing the seeds of hatred, violence, and division.

American ideas for solving these problems will get the best reception from Iraq’s people if there is a concurrent campaign waged to win over their hearts and minds. After being ruled by hardened Baathist heads for the past three decades, transforming Iraqi hearts into a democratic force for reform throughout the Arab world will require a combination of compassion, political skill, and a willingness to spend U.S. taxpayer money on things other than the latest cruise missiles, fighter jets, or armored tanks.