LIES THE rEALISTS TELL THEMSELVES:

Two Bushes, Two Wars: In a candid interview, Richard Haass talks to Warren Hoge about what he learned on the policy frontlines of both Iraq conflicts—and why he finally decided to quit W.’s administration. (Warren Hoge, 5/05/09, Daily Beast)

Why was the first Iraq War one of necessity and the second one of choice?

The first Iraq War was one of necessity because vital U.S. interests were at stake and we reached the point where no other national-security instruments were likely to achieve the necessary goal, which was the reversal of Saddam Hussein’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The second was a war of choice simply because U.S. vital interests were not engaged at that point.

That's the sort of complete nonsense that only a Realist can convince himself of. Gulf I, like all America's wars, was a war of choice. All that was at issue was who we'd buy our oil from. Even the notion that the quality of the regime mattered is a smokescreen, else Mr. Haas and company would be demanding that we remove the enemies who control Venezuela and Iran's oil.

But he's quite right that Gulf II involved no interest that his ilk recognize. It was, more typical of our wars, exclusively a matter of democratic liberalization.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 5, 2009 6:45 AM