ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, New York — U.S. President George W. Bush is not generally known for his firm grasp of history. But this has not stopped him from using history to justify his policies. In a recent speech to American war veterans in Kansas City, he defended his aim to "stay the course" in Iraq by pointing out the consequences of the American withdrawal from the war in Vietnam. He also mentioned the post-1945 occupation of Japan and the Korean War as success stories in America's efforts to bring freedom to Asia, and by extension, the world.