The headline in today’s Washington Post, “Assault on Iraqi Civilians Is Deadliest Since 2003,” might as well have said, “Assault on Iraqi Civilians Is Deadliest Since Saddam Hussein.” That’s the point: things in Iraq are now as bad (if not worse) than they were under Saddam, except that no one power or authority seems to have control.

For all intents and purposes, the war is over. We’ve lost. And it’s time to admit that fact and start putting real pressure on the Iraqis to assume control of their nation.

Of course, it’s not that easy. We, as the world’s sole superpower, have done what Iran failed to do in two decades — we took out Saddam. So the Iranians would love nothing more than to see the U.S. leave Iraq. And there’s Syria, too, waiting in the wings.

What the hell have we done?