Ohioblog: A Swing State Journal

Lost in Iraq: U.S. credibility 

To find out how the war/occupation in Iraq going will end go immediately to the third and final part of Knight Ridder Newspapers' special report. You can find it here. The scenarios are not hearting, and the worst of it for those of us whose war was Vietnam is the inevitable comparison. What's most discouraging is the damage done to U.S. credibility. It is difficult to lead the world and to create a new reality in the Mideast without it. ``It's not Vietnam - yet - but it is a huge blow to the U.S. ability to project power abroad,'' said Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at Queen Mary University in London. ``The Bush doctrine died on the outskirts of Baghdad.'' Dodd refers to the doctrine that threatens preemptive attacks on U.S. enemies, something impossible to pull off with too few troops and too many enemies, including Iran and Syria. If you didn't read the first two parts of the series, you can find links in Ohioblog items from Saturday and Sunday.

- Steve Love
posted by Ohioblog: A Swing State Journal at 8:31 AM