End Game

I just got back from Borders and I picked up the latest issue of The New Republic, the special issue consisting of 12 essays by (mostly) liberal hawks reconsidering their support for the war in Iraq. I recommend that everyone pick up a copy.

In light of yesterday's dreadful multi-city strikes that claimed the life of over 100 people and injured about 320, I have comtempleted abandoning this cause. Now, I advocated long and hard for this war and I still believe it was the right thing to do. But Bush's mishandling of it has created a situation that cannot conceivably produce the stated reason for many of us hawks support for the war, a (semi-) liberal democracy. Abu Zarqawi has, I believe, succeeded in Iraq. For the first time since the start of the war, the majority of Americans believe it was not right for us to invade and that Iraq has not made the world facer from terrorism. Our capitulation in Fallujah is at the center of this problem. It has become a Taliban-like city and the base of operations for al-Tawhid (Zarqawi's network). The situation is untenable. I expect the assasination of the Prime Minister and/or the President of Iraq shortly after the June 30th handover.

Where do we go from here?