A surge of denial?

In today's WaPo, Charles Krauthammer today takes leading Democrats to task for acting as if the progress in Iraq isn't meaningful. The revival of ordinary life in many cities is palpable. Something important is happening. And what is the reaction of the war critics? Nancy Pelosi stoutly maintains her state of denial, saying this about ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

In today's WaPo, Charles Krauthammer today takes leading Democrats to task for acting as if the progress in Iraq isn't meaningful.

In today's WaPo, Charles Krauthammer today takes leading Democrats to task for acting as if the progress in Iraq isn't meaningful.

The revival of ordinary life in many cities is palpable. Something important is happening. And what is the reaction of the war critics? Nancy Pelosi stoutly maintains her state of denial, saying this about the war just two weeks ago: "This is not working. . . . We must reverse it." A euphemism for "abandon the field," which is what every Democratic presidential candidate is promising, with variations only in how precipitous to make the retreat.

This is fair enough in parts. As Mickey Kaus has argued, recent Democratic attempts to spin good news as bad have been weak. And the Democrats may ultimately pay a price for having pooh-poohed a strategy that is showing signs of success. But let's not forget the implicit corollary to surge success: that the cycle of violence in Iraq might have been arrested much earlier—with countless lives saved—had the administration recognized earlier the need for basic security.

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.