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It's a debate that sticks in my mind. It's 2003: Should the United States invade Iraq? My friend, an American diplomat, vehemently opposed the invasion. I argued that if the United States purports to be the world's policeman, it must bring to justice to a dictator like Saddam Hussein, who oppresses his own people, jeopardized global stability and planned to acquire nuclear weapons. That's what a superpower is supposed to do, I said. The diplomat argued that Washington doesn't know how to carry out nation-building and that once the military mission is over the administration will have no idea how to manage Iraq and its complexities. "During the long months of preparing for the war," I thought to myself, astonished, "Wasn't a proper 'day-after' plan drawn up?"
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