One city

On a day when the New York Times tried harder than usual to to make the case that Iraq as a whole is a lost cause, Tom Bevan of Real Clear Politics answers with the case to the contrary.

To keep the situation in perspective, bear in mind that Iraq is a nation the size of California. While the intramural violence and the struggles of rival ethnic, political and religious groups whose conflicting aspirations were all ground down under Saddam Hussein's heel are certainly nation-wide, that is in one very significant sense profoundly misleading.

Most of the trouble is limited to Baghdad- one city. That city is the capital, and by far the most important piece of real estate in the whole country. But it is still only one city in a nation the size of California.

Certainly the various ethnic and religious groups which the tyranny of Saddam Hussein held together in one arguably artificial nation-state are asserting their identities- and petty rivalries and hatreds as well- in a violent and destructive way throughout the nation as a whole. But Baghdad itself is such a large part of the problem that we might do well to consider the degree to which all of those struggles might be quite managable if the greatest military power in the history of the human race can pacify one city.

I very much hope that the President of the United States- whose supporter I remain, just as I remain a supporter of this war- considers the importance of bringing every ounce of might the United States possesses into play toward accomplishing that very thing, and that right quickly.

This war remains quite winnable. But it won't stay that way for long if we don't take care of business in Baghdad by bringing to bear just as much force as it takes, and to so in the very near future.