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The National Interest
Defining Victory
by Nikolas K. Gvosdev and Paul J. Saunders
America has no choice but to succeed in Iraq. The country's collapse could fuel chaos in the Middle East; a terrorist base there could support new attacks in America, in the region, in Europe and worldwide. The consequences of defeat in Iraq extend beyond this as well. As the only global superpower, the United States can afford to make mistakes--even big ones. But it cannot allow itself to be defeated in a priority-defining project like Iraq. After investing the lives and well-being of American soldiers, $200 billion in taxpayer funds and substantial amounts of international political capital, failure could be very damaging both abroad and at home.
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