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A time to mourn

More than 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed in the unnecessary, mishandled and increasingly unpopular war in Iraq.

On the same day Iraq announced voters had ratified a new constitution, the number of American troops who have died in the battle to bring democracy to that fractured country hit 2,000. It is a moment to reflect, to mourn and honor those who have given their lives, to remember the mistakes that brought us to this point and to contemplate where we go from here.

The Bush administration's disastrous mishandling of this war has been well-chronicled. It misled the American people by falsely claiming connections between Iraq and the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks. No weapons of mass destruction have been found. There was no effective plan for how to respond after Saddam Hussein was removed from power. The depths of the administration's efforts to silence critics, defend its propaganda and mischaracterize the state of affairs in Iraq is still being revealed.

More than 1,800 American troops have been killed since President Bush declared in May 2003 that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended." More than half of the American casualties now are reportedly attributed to roadside bombs that are increasingly more powerful and sophisticated. Video of three major explosions outside a heavily fortified Baghdad hotel this week underscores the danger. The insurgents show no signs of giving up, and there can be no solid timetable for bringing tens of thousands of troops home until Iraqis can better police themselves.

This is an unnecessary war that has lost support among Americans faster than Vietnam, and Bush finds himself in much the same situation as Lyndon Johnson in the '60s: Entangled in an unpopular conflict with no clear exit strategy. The president says "the best way to honor the sacrifice of our fallen troops is to complete the mission." The difficulty is in defining that phrase.

Some progress has been made. One round of elections has been held. A flawed constitution has been written and ratified, and another round of elections is scheduled for December. But even most Democrats aren't calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops when the threat of all-out civil war among the Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds is still very real. Sen. John Kerry, who had difficulty explaining his own position on the war last year during his unsuccessful campaign for president, said in a speech Wednesday that 20,000 troops should come home over the Christmas holidays if the December parliamentary elections are successful. That may sound reasonable now, but it depends on variables no one can predict.

This war has damaged the country's international standing, exposed the weaknesses of its intelligence gathering, overextended its military, strained its finances and undermined the credibility of its government institutions. More than 2,000 families have paid an even higher price, and the number will climb. Amid the political and military maneuvering, their sacrifice should not be forgotten.

[Last modified October 27, 2005, 01:28:19]