When the war in Iraq began March 19, speculation was rife about its likely duration. Predictions ranged from very short (less than 10 days) to fairly long (over a month) to very long (a protracted Vietnam-type war). As it turned out, the fighting effectively ended in a little over three weeks. But it's a Pyrrhic victory, politically and diplomatically.
There is no assurance that the turmoil in the Middle East, not just in Iraq, will end anytime soon. The Arab "street" may be glad that Saddam Hussein is gone for good, but it is wary of U.S. domination. The war -- which has been waged without explicit U.N. approval -- appears to have deepened anti-U.S. sentiment in the Arab and Muslim worlds.
The unilateralist U.S. action has also alienated France and Germany, America's traditional European allies. Russia and, to a lesser degree, China also seem to worry that the "go-it-alone" strategy of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration will do more harm than good for international relations.