A rapid departure without guaranteeing the stability of Iraq will have even worse long term consequences for U.S. interests than the present debacle. In effect, we are stuck.

The Bush administration made a terrific mistake rushing to war without U.N. support. They exaggerated the case and understated the cost. We now have no other reasonable choice than to live with the consequences of that.

The best solution we have is to internationalize the reconstruction. But this isn't going to happen so long as the neocons are in charge. Nor will other nations be willing to take the risk to assist so long as reconstruction appears more like American occupation to the Iraqis. Most of the world is still angry at the U.S. for acting with such unilateral arrogance. Their motivation at present is to let us extricate ourselves from our self-created quagmire on our own.

We made the case for war based upon the falacious allegation that Saddam Hussein was a threat to American citizens. And what we now face, after having gone to war upon such erroneous circumstances, is a greater threat than what we started with. Of course, that's what you get when you elect a diletante for a president.