America started a fight it can’t win

Four years ago this week, the invasion of Iraq began. From the outset it was always going to be a walk-over.

With Baghdad bombed into chaos by what Donald Rumsfeld described as ‘‘shock and awe’’ tactics, resistance by Saddam Hussein’s troops was minimal.

After a series of wars and long years of sanctions, Iraq essentially was a third world military power. With most of the US media providing a baying chorus of approval ...