"And now we're stuck"

Thanks to Kevin at Dr Joan Bushwell's Chimpanzee Refuge for this pointer to Carl Hiassen's recent column on Iraq. Two excerpts follow (emphasis mine) - check out the whole thing:

This is the story of the war in a nutshell -- misbegotten, misrepresented and mismanaged.

Stoned on his own delusions, the president still talks of installing a functioning democracy in a country throttled by civil war and aflame with ancient religious grievances.

Newly doubt-ridden Republicans in Congress speechify about a ''new direction,'' but do nothing. Democrats call for a staged withdrawal, but can't muster the votes to make it happen.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government remains paralyzed and rudderless. Car bombs continue to explode in open markets, killing and maiming innocents by the score. The Shiites and Sunnis keep on kidnapping, torturing and executing each other.

And American soldiers, caught in the middle, keep on dying. The total now surpasses 3,600, with roadside bombs being the leading cause of death....

In sum, the news is grim and getting grimmer. You didn't need to be Nostradamus to see it coming.

The president started an unwinnable war against a nation that had absolutely no role in the heinous acts of 9/11. The invasion was one of the most arrogant and costly blunders in the history of U.S. foreign relations, empowering our enemies beyond their wildest hopes.

And now we're stuck, with no good options for getting out.

If U.S. troops leave Iraq, the civil war will surely get bloodier. Al Qaeda fighters will claim victory and also a safe outpost, at least until the Iraqis turn on them.

And if U.S. troops stay in place, the violence will grind on as it is now, with the Americans a handy target for militants on all sides.

As the civilian death toll rises, the idea of splitting Iraq into sectarian nation-states doesn't seem so farfetched. Unfortunately, Bush shows no interest in pursuing any diplomatic solutions; with his eyes wide shut, he keeps waiting for the magic of instant democracy.

He'll still be waiting 18 months from now, cruising around on his riding mower back in Texas while a new president struggles to extract the country from this wretched, unsolvable mess.

Most Americans want a timetable set today, but the only certain date of change is Jan. 20, 2009, when Bush, Cheney and the other bunglers finally depart.

Whether the troops return home all at once or in waves, a pullout from Iraq is inevitable. The way back will be long and treacherous, and we should pray that those armor-plated trucks will arrive in time to carry at least some of our soldiers out safely.