Well, La Dee @&%@ing Dah

After more than seven years and over four thousand American casualties, the last combat brigade is leaving the ruins of Iraq. The termination date for "Operation Iraqi Liberation" - er, "Freedom" - is set for August 31.

We still have 50,000 troops there, of course, in (apparently) training and support roles.

But we need to bring them ALL home.

Eight years ago, I questioned the need to go into Iraq. We had Saddam in a box, and occasionally poked him in the eye with a sharp stick in order to remind him of that fact. There was no need to invade.

I was almost instantly vilified as Un-American, but set that aside, and let's review the lies that were used to gull us and cow a complaisant Congress to march our military off into the abyss:

1. "Iraq took part in 9/11!" Lie; no Iraqis were on the hijacking teams, and Saddam quite frankly despised al-Qaeda (a sentiment Osama returned with interest).

2. "We'll be greeted as liberators!" Lie; some units were met with happy Marsh Arabs and Shiites who were bombed and oppressed by Saddam's regime, and the Kurds were only too happy to welcome us (provided we let them secede from Iraq).

3. "Iraqi oil revenues will pay for the whole thing!" Lie. The only way we could pay for this debacle was to borrow truly unholy amounts of money from China, which now holds our mortgage. We don't screw with China, as they can call in the note and drive our economy under. Thanks, Bush and Cheney, for fucking us over.

We need to get the hell out of that place, and let the Iraqis sort things out for themselves. Then we need to leave Afghanistan.

As quickly as possible, before the suicide rate among our troops rises any further.