Neocon fantasies - Rather than a crusade for democracy, the war in Iraq remains a tragic failure. Plus, exploiting Terri Schiavo.

THE WAR IN IRAQ is a long way from being over. Already, though, the revisionist historians of the right are going to work, portraying this grotesque misadventure as a glorious mission to bring democracy to the Middle East. Everyone hopes for a decent outcome in Iraq, both for the long-suffering people of that country and for the security interests of the rest of the world. But on this, the second anniversary of the war, it is vital to remember what really happened, and to separate stark reality from neoconservative fantasy.