Rosner's piece about the fate of Jordan is just another voice in the chorus of "a war with no end." What troubles me most about such pieces is that many of these cautionary tales of consequences of withdrawal were all but absent prior to the invasion. Yes, there were voices that discussed the consequences of invasion, but most of these were lost in the constant drumbeat of war.

The sad fact of the matter is that there is no easy way out of this mess. Personally, I take the stance that the U.S. should have never invaded in the first place and any fallout from a U.S. withdrawal is the result of the invasion in the first place. That does not mean that care should not be taken to minimize the impact of the withdrawal. In fact, the prudent thing to do at this point is to start analyzing different withdrawal scenarios and start efforts to ensure a minimum of negative consequences.

"The sad fact of the matter is that there is no easy way out of this mess."

I agree completely. But, every time I here this I wonder why there there is no outcry for impeachment for the President and the Vice-President. Has this not been the opening of a Pandors Box? Have things not been so badly botched by this administration that they constitute high crimes and misdemeanors, not just against our citizenry, but the world as a whole?

The powers were warned, the voices were raised, but they were deliberately ignored. I just don't understand. This is so much worse than lying under oath.

the "popular opposition to the war" is more about mismanagement and the fact that "mistakes were made." Most people still think the war was a good idea in principle, Bush acted in good faith, and that things can turn around if only they were handled better.

Now we can't withdraw because there would withdrawl pains. Seems Bush is like a pusher who has injected shit into the veins of the Middle East and now claims he has to keep selling his poison because withdrawl would be too painful. I agree that his administration has been populated with war criminals but it is OK to prosecute them later. Else Bush would pardon them while he is still President. There is no statute of limitations on these crimes and in 16 months he and his cronies will no longer have executivve branch protection. Never forget.

First, in the beginning, "popular opposition to the war" was not about mismanagement. It was about the bogus assertion of WMDs. Secondly, the only people who ever thought the war was a good idea ,in principle, were the idiots who weren't paying attention. I invite you here:

<link>

Sorry, couldn't get the correct link. How's this though---

"But make no mistake- as I said earlier- we have high confidence that they have weapons of mass destruction. That is what this war was about and is about. And we have high confidence it will be found."

Ari Fleisher, April 10, 2003. Press briefing.