War is Messy: News at 11!

Charles Krauthammer has a new article today discussing the state of Iraq in light of the always-cited model of the "perfect war": World War II. He notes that while we tend to think of WW2 as having a clear and clean end - the surrenders of Germany and Japan. But the reality was years of guerilla warfare with fragmented Japanese soldiers who refused to accept the end of the war, and a Germany that has been smashed flat by bombing - what might be called a humanitarian nightmare today.

Keegan's larger point was contemporary, however. ``The British and American media retail with evident satisfaction every scrap of information'' -- bad war news, coalition soldiers' misconduct -- that ``undermines any expectation by readers and viewers of a successful outcome to the Iraqi involvement.'' The fact that transition from the coalition conquest of last April 9 to whatever new Iraq emerges will be difficult and bloody and contentious is the historical norm, argues Keegan, and yet it has been used by critics to discredit both the war and Bush and Blair for having undertaken it.

Is the Iraq War going according to plan? Someone once said, "The first casuality of war is 'the plan.'" So, no. But this is the way it has been with all wars. Especially wars where we are not just looking to smash an enemy, but transform them into an independent friend. The war is not over, and war is messy. In case anyone forgot that fact, MASH is on DVD and cable several times a day during the week. Set your Tivos now!