The Pottery Barn Rule

The Bush administration, having grown tired of trying to rebuild Iraq, waves its hands and says "I'm out.":

The Bush administration does not intend to seek any new funds for Iraq reconstruction in the budget request going before Congress in February, officials say. The decision signals the winding down of an $18.4 billion U.S. rebuilding effort in which roughly half of the money was eaten away by the insurgency, a buildup of Iraq's criminal justice system and the investigation and trial of Saddam Hussein....

"The U.S. never intended to completely rebuild Iraq," Brig. Gen. William McCoy, the Army Corps of Engineers commander overseeing the work, told reporters at a recent news conference. In an interview this past week, McCoy said: "This was just supposed to be a jump-start."

Memo to Gen. McCoy: WE'RE THE ONES WHO WRECKED THE PLACE TO BEGIN WITH. We started this unprovoked war with virtually no support from our allies (oh, wait, I forgot Poland) and now we expect someone else to clean up our mess? But don't take my word for it:

In a speech on Aug. 8, 2003, President Bush promised more for Iraq.

"In a lot of places, the infrastructure is as good as it was at prewar levels, which is satisfactory, but it's not the ultimate aim. The ultimate aim is for the infrastructure to be the best in the region," Bush said.

Well, I guess we know what the president's promises are worth. As though we didn't know already.

(Thanks to Altercation.)