With the news from Iraq turning ever more savage, many in the Middle East were glad to see the Democrats take Congress from the GOP in November, delivering a well-placed rebuke to President George W. Bush. But make no mistake: the Democrats’ victory will not deliver any major policy shift, as the American Constitution grants Bush, for better or for worse, chief authority in matters related to foreign and military policy. So now, the discussion must turn to how the Democrats can influence or pressure Bush; they will not be making new policy on their own.And that’s too bad, because Iraq needs a fundamental rethinking of American policy and goals. Staying the course has led to the destruction of a country, destabilization of the region and a massive human catastrophe with at least 150,000 Iraqis killed. Bush’s adventure in Iraq is a failure on an unprecedented scale.One thing has already
