I was going to try making a comparison to other "quagmires" we have still going on

I made a comment over at the Rosemead Times about Bosnia.

I asked how many American casualties have we had in Bosnia or Kosovo? Funny thing is we either don't have any -OR- it's not searched enough to show up in a search for casualties. You notice that the first thing that pops up in both is IRAQ. There are some interesting parallels and differences in what was written then(and there) and what's being written now (about public perceptions in the Balkans).

Let me see if I have this right:
The Balkans

• No near threat to the U.S.
• U.N./NATO approved and planned
• A country split by religious factions- who won't get along.
• A bloodthirsty dictator that needed to be disposed of
• Very little Liberal/Communist outcry
• No "exit strategy" asked for or debated
• 10+ years invested
• NO real democratic advances
• If we left tomorrow, it would be like we'd never been there.
• Bill Clinton
  

Iraq

• Saddam HAD and used chemical weapons on his own people
• Saddam HAD and was trying to acquire more WMDs (they're probably in Syria now)
• 865 UN resolutions slapping his hand
• Proven monetary aid to terrorists
• A bloodthirsty dictator who needed to be disposed of
• Every Liberal, Socialist, Communist and flack are howling about this war
• Two and a half years
  
• The promise to only stay as long as necessary (I don't think we'll have another Korea -or Kosovo anyway)
  
• Iraq approved a Constitution (in less time than it took to ratify ours)
• A functioning Democratic government (ok, they still need some help)
• All factions are trying to make the thing work (to varying dergrees)
• George Bush

Who sees the ONE common thing between the two countries?

One is actually working and being trashed because a REPUBLICAN is in charge.
One was FUBAR'D from the git-go by a Viet Nam war protester telling the military how to fight.

And the Liberals are having a connipshun coniption conniption hissy fit about the one actually accomplishing something lasting in the mid-east.

By the way, I never did find out the American casualty count in the Balkans- got tired of looking.