Iraq:

Here's an email a friend sent me after reading my past posts on the Iraq War. He sent me this article to read. And I responded that I pretty much agreed with this post by Andrew Sullivan but that our history would be the ultimate judge of our presence in Iraq.

Many initial supporters of the invasion of Iraq got cold feet when the going got tough. I didn't! It took us 7 years to democratize Japan and Germany and I would expect that it will take that long or even much longer to do the same to Iraq. Some thing cannot be hurried. Whenever President Bush is asked how long we will stay there, he replies correctly "As long as it takes." One can never give out enemies a timetable that they can use against us.

My unswerving support of the present administrations foreign policy is based primarily on their willingness to use force and endure casualties and secondly on my perception of their level of resolve to stick to their program though thick and thin until victory is achieved.

One of Douglas MacArthur's most famous quotes is "There is no substitute for victory".

If you have not yet read his biography, AMERICA'S CAESAR, BY William Manchester, I suggest you do so. It would be a highly useful investment of your time.

For many years I attended informal briefings on international affairs with an retired army intelligence officer who defined history as "A group of lies agreed upon."

I don't think he was far from correct.