JOE PAPPALARDO: 4 Things You Need to Know About the Collapse of Iraq. Here’s one: “This will inspire a Vietnam-esque narrative of failure.” For some, that’s not a bug, but a feature, of course, just as the Vietnam experience itself was.

This seems more sensible: “If insurgencies are seen as effective against U.S. military might, more will spring up. It would be wiser for the U.S. to study the missteps. Learning from mistakes is how the aviation industry reduces airline crashes. Why should foreign policy be different?” Our foreign policy elites don’t know much about engineering.

Related: Jihadist Who Engineered The Fall of Mosul Was American Detainee Who Was Released in 2009. “Why such a ferocious individual was deemed fit for release in 2009 is not known.”

Also related: Michael Walsh: In the Middle East, the End of the Beginning. “Obama likes to boast that he ends wars. But wars only end when one side gives up.”

And from John Hinderaker, this bit of graphic design: Obama’s Mission Accomplished Moment.

UPDATE: Romney: Obama’s Decisions in Iraq Have Left Us With ‘Very Poor Options.’