by the waters of babylon we sat down and wept

Letter to the editor of NYT. (today)

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!!!!!!
Generals say drawdown of troop strength not possible--"occupation" could last many years.OH,REALLY!!! Welcome to the world of reality--not some war-game in the Pentagon!!! Whatever happened to "hearts and minds"--all those Iraquis clammering for Dubya's version of democracy? Just a small "road-bump" on the transition to Chalabi's version of Utopia.The American military is great at launching cruise missiles from offshore,but when it comes to "one-on-one" combat with insurgents armed with AK47'S and RPG's---it's a whole new ballgame. Airstrikes and modern computer weapons don't apply to a fanatical fighter willing to sacrifice his own life. Now,just where have we seen that scenario before??? Oh,yes--Nam--TET OFFENSIVE--IRON TRIANGLE--HUE--KHE SANH and all those other lessons which America chose to forget. Well,it's past time,to jog your memory! Those who do not learn the lessons of history--are condemned to repeat the same mistakes---over and over again! Well,America,you are living your mistake and it's just a matter of time for the same result. Stay tuned---it only gets WORSE!!!..."

The more depressing thought is that it doesn't have to actually get worse, all it has to do is stay the same until we get tired and go home; whereupon 15 million shiite Iraqis have little other choice (surrounded as they are by sunni neighbors and own sunni-kurd-turkomen countrymen) than to seek assistance and protection from the 60 million shiite Iranians next door -- thus forming another part of fairly contiguous anti-US arc extending from Pakistan across the Near-East up through various Stans and over to chechens. This, in turn, changes balance of power in OPEC, advances China's position and may cause US oil suppliers in Gulf area to be a little careful in bucking any anti-US policies that may be suggested by an even more powerful Iran and its allies.

Our near-sighted, history blind, guerrilla (or any other) combat inexperienced, neocon ideologues have not only screwed future US energy import pooch, they have blackened and dishonored US name throughout the world, reduced any foreign perception of US ability and power, and have even managed to weaken rather than strengthen Israel's strategic position. Oh yeah, and they killed or maimed more than 12,000 of our fellow citizens and pi$$ed $300+ billion down desert squattypotty to do this.

From Book of Psalms (in case any of evangelicals miss the point): "By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept..."