A Miracle a Day in Iraq

According to the Gospel of John, turning water into wine was the first miracle of Jesus.

The United States needs these kinds of miracles every day now in Iraq.

The Bush administration thought that American power would miraculously turn Iraq into a secular democracy.

They were wrong and they've been wrong again and again.

When they invaded, Dick Cheney said the occupation would last six months. The occupation is into its fourth year and the situation keeps getting worse.

They hoped the capture of Saddam Hussein would end the insurgency. It didn't.

They hoped that elections and constitutions would bring Sunni politicians and tribal leaders around. They didn't.

They hoped that training Iraqi forces would make the government able to defend itself. But the Iraqi forces are the source of the death squads who make things worse.

They got one big miracle when they killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. But it wasn't enough.

If the situation in Iraq is going to turn around, we need a miracle every day. And run of the mill magic tricks like turning water into wine won't do. We need big, tipping point, miracles that change whole systems not just little facts.

That's how bad it is in Iraq.