[Austin Willard Wright]

Please tell me specifically how many Americans were killed in combat action in post-war Austria or Germany. Unless you can show that is anywhere near of the current bloodletting in Iraq, this comparison will not hold water. BTW, I'll bet you dollars to donuts the comparison in American combat deaths between Iraq and post-war Austria/Germany wasn't even close.

[Destro]

It was not! And those that try and link the post WW2 occupation of Germany and Japan to Iraq distort history as much as those that try to compare Iraq to Vietnam.

As for is it worth it? I will direct you to George Will's latest words:

To those who say that further internationalization of the occupation of Iraq would lessen U.S. "control," the response is: Control -- such as it is -- should not be the grandiose U.S. objective. Neutralization of Iraq as a source of terror will be sufficient.

But the neo-cons (or whoever) want control, and control of Iraq will have its costs. Costs that may including the loss of Republican power along with American lives.