Peace is just around the corner

In a Washington Post op-ed Jackson Diehl reminds us of recent post-Cold War history:

Iraq, however, doesn't operate on Washington's clock -- something Iraqi leaders have repeatedly tried and failed to explain to the ambassadors and generals who demand benchmarks and timetables. And why should it? In historical context, the country is not much different from others that have emerged from decades of dictatorship and tried to sort out a new political status quo among multiple competing ethnic groups. Yugoslavia began to break down in 1991; despite repeated Western interventions, the bloodshed continued until the end of the decade. The wars over Congo's future began in 1994 with the end of the Mobuto dictatorship and didn't end until 2003. Lebanon's civil war began in 1976 and ended in 1989.

Yet, some are convinced that with just a few more troops all the boys will be home soon. We've been at this for almost four years. Each year a new plan is tried. Each year the plan fails. When do we say we've failed? It's tough to admit it, but every day it's more and more obvious.