I am not a fan of most Hollywood types that come out of the woodwork when there is some big tragedy and then fade away just as quickly.  Angelina Jolie however has shown a very real dedication to helping the poor and the needy around the world.  As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, she has been to more than 20 countries acting as an advocate for those that need one.

In recent months she went to Iraq to see firsthand the progress being made in the country and to report what needs to be done to help the Iraqi people.  Yesterday in the Washington Post she wrote an editorial about her visit.  Among the highlights:

"My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis.

"Today's humanitarian crisis in Iraq -- and the potential consequences for our national security -- are great. Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won't explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?

"What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that has been made."

Should we really abandon the Iraqi people as the Democratic presidential candidates think? 

Click here to read the editorial.