It is time for the White House to come to terms with two central realities: the war in Iraq is a -historic, strategic and moral calamity; and only a strategy that is historically relevant rather than reminiscent of colonial tutelage can provide the framework for a tolerable resolution of both the war and intensifying regional tensions.

If the US stays bogged down in Iraq, the final destination on this downhill track is likely to be head-on conflict with Iran and with the broader world of Islam. A plausible scenario for a military collision with Iran involves Iraqi failure to meet US benchmarks; followed by US accusations of Iranian responsibility for the failure; then by some provocation in Iraq or a terrorist act in the US blamed on Iran. This could culminate in "defensive" US military action against Iran that plunges a lonely America into a deepening quagmire eventually encompassing Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.