There’s no difference between this declaration that the mission is over and declaring “Mission Accomplished.” This so-called withdrawal is utter nonsense. There are still 50,000 troops in Iraq. “Combat” versus “non-combat” semantics don’t change that fact. Troops are still at risk and the costs continue. As with the oil in the Gulf, things aren’t gone just because you officially say that they are.

Just as hard to stomach is NBC’s tone of self-congratulation for breaking the news. In fact, it’s not breaking news at all. It actually “constitutes official Pentagon announcement.” What is this, the Korean Central News Agency? Xinhua?