Eerie place, American this week. Three years ago any European visitor whodared be skeptical over Iraq had to run for cover. Even normally hospitableNew Yorkers gave "surrender monkeys" a wide berth. And forget the French.One thing only redeemed visiting Britons and that was the sainted TonyBlair. As for those of us who had been to Iraq and warned that the mostghastly mistake was being made, there was no hearing. Not from liberals orconservatives. America was on a roll. Do not rain on the parade.
This week all is miraculously different - not in Iraq where it is the sameonly worse, but in America. Those same liberals and conservatives arecoruscating in their venom against the Iraq project, every feature of whichwas evident within weeks of the invasion. The Democrats are now born againsurrender monkeys, while even Republicans are seeking redemption or someoneto blame. The neo-conservatives are ducking and running for cover. As forthe British, how on Earth could we have allowed that idiot Blair to supportGeorge Bush in this reckless venture?
Britain can take no credit in this fiasco. For British troops to havebecome indentured mercenaries on a punitive raid in the Middle East wasinexcusable and humiliating. Nor has Britain any idea how to disengagewhich is not "cutting and running". Like the Americans, British troops aremostly confined to barracks and in no sense a player in the lethal civilconflict in Iraq. Foreign troops no longer have any political or militaryleverage outside Baghdad's green zone fortress.
But I repeat, what has changed? Surely not just that American troops aregetting beat. That should not affect the argument over whether thisintervention was wise, or even legal. The grand inquisition into Iraq shouldnot just be into the neo-conservative putsch that brought it about, butinto the hysterical consensus of liberal opinion that lent them suchinvaluable support. The most frightening thing about the new world order isnot American aggression but American inconstancy.