Bag Man

Vietnam presumably taught us that the
United States could not serve as the
world's policeman.

It should also have taught us the dangers
of trying to be the world's midwife
to democracy when the birth is scheduled
to take place under conditions of guerrilla war.
--Jeane Kirkpatrick, 1979

We have forgotten that Vietnam, and Iraq
resent being invaded
and know the ground better than we do
--Wendell Barry
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There is some cognitive dissonance between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's assertion that Iraq has defeated terrorism and the soldier who must wear a face mask while on patrol (Iraqi PM: We Have Defeated Terrorism.) It is Vietnam, redux: Let's just say we won and leave (Now That We've 'Won," Let's Come Home.)

In this case, Mr. al-Maliki is giving a less-than-subtle push to his erstwhile buddies -- "Thanks for coming; bye." If terrorism has been defeated, why does this soldier wear an anonymizing hood?

There is very little truth in the words of either George W. Bush or PM al-Maliki.