Bush’s previous predictions for the region have been notoriously incorrect. The president’s relentless conviction that American security is at risk has long been the key to understanding his refusal to leave Iraq — regardless of how many troops die or how little good they appear to be doing. — Washington Post

Iraq has made the United States look much weaker in the eyes of the world. Britain has become almost as anti-American as France has been historically; only one-third of Britons now regard Washington as a force for good. The support of the public in Iraq, as in Afghanistan, and, indeed, in the rest of the world, seems daily to diminish rather than increase. Those who thought they had won the war are, with every day that passes, losing the peace. — The Independent

Under Saddam Hussein, the disappeared were not discussed. Asking for information about people believed to be detained or killed by the regime only brought more danger to the family. But since the war, and particularly following the sharp rise in sectarian fighting over the past year, searching has become an obsession. — New York Times

Millions of Iraqis, spanning the country’s religious and ethnic spectrum, welcomed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. But the mostly young men and women who embraced America’s project so enthusiastically that they were prepared to risk their lives for it may constitute Iraq’s smallest minority. — New Yorker

Four years after the decision to launch a massive military assault on Iraq, the country lies in ruins. Will history hold those responsible to account? — Guardian 

New York Times charts the violence and turmoil in Iraq — New York Times

In fact, there is a civil war in progress in Iraq, one comparable in important respects to other civil wars that have occurred in postcolonial states with weak political institutions. Those cases suggest that the Bush administration’s political objective in Iraq — creating a stable, peaceful, somewhat democratic regime that can survive the departure of US troops — is unrealistic. — Foreign Afffairs.org

Four more years! The greatest war ever is four years old today, and that means Bush will say something on the teevee for a few minutes, possibly about how much he loves guacamole. — Wonkette

What civil war? Iraqis say life is getting better. It might seem difficult to believe (and for some clearly impossible), but according to an opinion poll many Iraqis say that life is getting better. It isn’t a story that is reflected in some parts of the media where the overall impression given is one of solid negativity. — Harry’s Place

Scenes of Baghdad. Images of Baghdad after the start of the security operation. Most images are from the Sunni-majority Adhamiya district. — Healing Iraq

Four Years Later: Remaking the Case for War. However shameful it may be that President Bush has failed in his duty to gather the support of the American people for a vital war for our freedom, it would be more shameful if conservatives didn’t stand up and make the case he isn’t making. — RedState

A worthy goal. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates revealed on Sunday that the surge of US troops into Iraq and the new security plan are designed to give the Iraqi government time to seek national reconciliation. That is a worthy goal. — Juan Cole