As Washington's politicians and pundits argue about how and when the US should get out of Iraq, another debate is just beginning: what kind of "Iraq syndrome" will take hold over American foreign policy in the wake of this war and how will the lessons of the past four years shape the contours of future decisions about US power and the potential uses of military force?
While most correctly focus on Iraq's tremendous cost to US leadership and prestige, an odd twist is that many elements of the Iraq syndrome may have a marginally positive impact on the future of American foreign policy.
