VDH on Past and Future History for US in Middle East

As news of sectarian violence in Iraq gets worse, reminding us less of a civil war than a gang war (yes, it's The Godfather again), we turn to the ever-wise Victor Davis Hanson, who again, for those with short memories, discusses both the history of the Iraq invasion and the American policy options for the future in the Middle East.

Our tease-quote comes from the close of the column:

And long after the present furor over Iraq dies down, the idea of trying to help democratic reformers fight terrorists, and to distance America from failed regimes that are antithetical to our values, simply will not go away.

That tough idealism will stay - because in the end it is the only right and smart thing to do.