The test of a great nation is whether it has the capacity to own up to its mistakes and change course for the sake of the country and the world. The Johnson and Nixon administrations failed this test in Vietnam, prolonging an unwinnable war that cost millions of lives while weakening America at home and abroad. The Bush Administration likewise shows no sign of facing up to its errors in Iraq. As US casualties mount (thirty-four deaths since George W. Bush declared combat over on May 1) and the financial costs of the occupation grow (Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's latest estimate is $3.9 billion a month for the military costs alone), the Administration seems more concerned with preserving its postwar imperial position than with creating a stable and democratic Iraq. The result has been a badly bungled occupation and an increasingly embittered Iraqi population that blames the United States for the lack of progress on everything from the disruption of basic services, to the continued civil disorder, to the slow movement on giving Iraqis a real say in their future.

It is time for the White House to acknowledge that it made a profound strategic mistake in waging war in Iraq without the support of the international community, and that the United States and its small band of allies do not have the resources, expertise or legitimacy to stabilize Iraq, let alone establish the conditions for an Iraqi democracy. It is also time for the White House to request that the United Nations take over primary responsibility in Iraq as the only way of accomplishing this goal.

Faced with some tough questions from members of Congress, Administration officials did acknowledge recently that they underestimated both the cost and security dangers of the postwar occupation. But they seem to believe that their belated efforts to establish an Iraqi Governing Council and to woo international "help," together with a more aggressive response to guerrilla attacks, will be enough to keep the sinking ship afloat. Again, as in their initial calculations, they are likely to be mistaken.

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