The establishment speaks

Former CIA chief John Deutch writes in the New York Times that the US should pull out of Iraq and not try and build a country again in its own image.

"Those who argue that we should 'stay the course' because an early withdrawal...would hurt America's global credibility must consider the possibility that we will fail in our objectives in Iraq and suffer an even worse loss of credibility down the road," he said.

This story was virtually ignored in the Australian press and yet we read every day supposed government experts on foreign policy and nation building. The view from the plush office must be very cushy indeed. Time for a dose of reality.