President Bush’s surprise trip to Baghdad provides the perfectopportunity for him to claim victory and announce the withdrawal of allUS forces from Iraq.

He could find the rationale for such anannouncement in the string of American victories that culminated lastweek in the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi by US forces.

So many victories: The list includes the dramatic capture of Saddam Hussein,the historic restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, the celebration of thefirst democratic elections in January 2005, the crucial agreement on anew constitution in October 2005, and then, last week, the death of theman Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld described as “Hitler in hisbunker.”

Now Iraq’s Hitler is dead–and Bush is in Baghdad. Now”The Decider” can decide the US will withdraw its forces from Iraq; nowhe can declare “Mission Accomplished.”