The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Dick Cheney can see it. Can't you?

This Iraq debacle looks more like Vietnam every day. Several weeks ago, the New York Times Magazine reported that we are employing assassination teams similar to those used in El Salvador in the 80's to hunt down leftists. People forget that what turned El Salvador around wasn't assassination teams, but rather the collapse of the Soviet empire, particularly after 1989: deprived of an international sponsor, the leftist Salvadorans turned to negotiation to eventually work out a surrender.

In Iraq, there is no need for international sponsors: the arms are plentiful. But there are several international sponsors available anyway (Iran, Al Qaeda, Syria) who can help in a pinch. And there is no indication at all that a surrender is in the works. Time is on the side of the insurgents, and everyone knows it.

So, what basis does Cheney have for his comforting little fantasy? What muezzin call does he hear?