I don’t have a strong view about whether we should send U.S. troops to Liberia, though it now seems some kind of “peacekeeping” force is likely. I suppose I lean against. The rationale for going in has little to do with national security and everything to do with sentiment, because Liberia was founded in 1822 by former American slaves and the U.S. relationship with it is therefore “special.” As Americans form opinions on this matter, I’d like us to hear from all the liberals who opposed military action in Iraq on the grounds that it would prove to be a distraction to operations in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism in general. Granted, 2,000 Marines in Liberia isn’t the same thing as a full-fledged war, but now that the postwar operation in Iraq is under significant stress, doesn’t that make the argument against Liberian intervention even more compelling?