EarlyBird:

Everything beyond your first paragraph, which you ought to re-read, is the worst crap I've ever seen you post here.

How could Americans not benefit from a historic defeat of al Qaeda, which has disgraced itself in the entire Muslim world? I've gotten pretty used to your exaggerated view that this war has overstretched and "broken" our military, but your claim that it has damaged the country permanently or even long-term is nonsensical. Are we talking about the same country that fought the Germans and the Japanese all over North Africa, Europe and the Pacific? Are we now supposed to be broken by fighting a war in Iraq that cost, what, 2% of the troops lost in WWII?

What's most distressing is the lack of moral courage demonstrated by your reference to the destruction of our "moral credibility." That plays right into the hands of the bin Ladens who count on that to ultimately defeat the West. Whenever I hear something like that I'm reminded of the Iraqi exile commenting on the surprisingly large anti-war demonstration in Hyde Park: 'We're here every month demonstrating against Saddam, and I've never seen any of these people here." It is sheer moral cowardice to feel we should apologize to those who never bothered to go to an Iraqi embassy or consulate to protest Saddam's latest act of genocide or aggression, but who are immediately up for protesting America's decision to take down that asshole.

A truly shameful post.