The Current Status of the Conflict in Iraq

[PBI]

It is already lost. The ethnic cleansing is largely complete and has led to a vast humanitarian catastrophe, and as Geoffrey S states the damage to the prestige and reputation of the US will take many years to heal. We may yet be able to prevent further catastrophic bloodshed and bring Iraq to a relatively stable state, but the damage has largely already been done. At best the situation may be brought to a Pyrrhic victory, and if that had been an option on the poll that's what I would have voted for (i.e. technically a victory, but at a cost outweighing the benefits of victory).