The War That Will Keep on Taking

U.S. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for President, points to the rather depressing prospect that American soldiers will be deployed in Iraq not just for months or years longer, but for generations. That will cost money. With federal budget deficits continuing for the foreseeable future, it is money that we do not have. But even if we deploy out of Iraq tomorrow, the meter will still be running. How long will we be paying for the war's collateral damage? For generations.
Another year, another $300 billion - The Boston Globe

A reader of this morning's Maine Sunday Telegram suggests that this protracted conflict is by design. How does he know? Mainah47 of Lewiston, ME, reasons that Osama Bin Laden is still at large because we allow him to be. "We found Saddam in a hole in the ground. We can't find a very tall Arab-looking man, that needs dialysis?" Bin Laden's capture would be Mission Accomplished in the minds of many people, who would then call for an end to the American occupation. But private contractors are not done extracting profits yet. Mission Extended.