The Economist Weighs In

"[T]he catalogue of failures thusfar does raise serious questions about the administration's ability to make Iraq work - ever. "

However, "there are strong and positive reasons for America to see through what it started... Most Iraqis share America's aims... Though few Arabs publicly admit it, Mr. Bush's efforts to spread democracy in the region are starting to bear fruit."

"Over time, American numbers should fall. But that should happen because the Iraqis are getting stronger, not because the Americans are feeling weaker."

"The road ahead looks bloody and costly. But this is not the time to retreat."