I know I’m coming in late on this, but I’ve been away all day (baby Lucy was in the hospital — she’s fine and home now) and I listened to an extended conversation about this on NPR and on various cable shows. I’m afraid I don’t see the comparison at all — beyond the fact that in both instances ungrateful, evil savages mutilated the bodies of Americans. Beyond that, what’s the similarity? Somalia was peripheral to our national interests, Iraq is central. These guys were contract security. The troops in Somalia were in uniform and by almost any standard they won the day. We cut and run after Somalia. We’re going to stick it out in Iraq. The savages in Somalia largely got away with it. I doubt that will happen with the Fallujites (Fallujans? Fallopians?).