Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same
WASHINGTON ? Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage, a hard-liner who had pressed for five years to topple Saddam Hussein, admitted last week to mistakes in planning the war in Iraq. He said, for the first time, that the administration is considering placing American and British forces there under a United Nations flag, provided their leader is American.
Mr. Armitage declined to give details. "I don't think it helps to throw them out publicly right now," he said.
Too late. The deputy secretary's comments became part of a nascent chorus ? tentative but unmistakable ? of officials, lawmakers and others re-examining their preconceptions about Iraq and calling for a midcourse correction. Reality has poked ideology in the eye.
For conservatives, this has meant considering the idea that America can't go it alone and may have to appease allies who benefited from the war but failed to support it. It means acknowledging that Iraq is so badly broken it could well require a lengthy and extremely costly process of nation-building, a term that makes many on the right cringe.[p6: may? may??]
For liberals ? many of whom opposed the invasion ? it may mean admitting there can be no swift departure because the stakes have become too high. Leaving now would place Iraqis under violent usurpers, and set a precedent that could haunt Washington for years.[p6: may? may??]