Who's to blame for the Iraq war?

WITH A majority of Americans now calling the war in Iraq ''a mistake," people will soon ask: ''Who got us there? Who is to blame for the tragic loss of blood and treasure?"

Four of the usual suspects are already in the spotlight: President Bush, his neocon brain trust, the media, and Congress. We must add to that list: the civil society.

By and large, the churches, universities, and other influencers of public opinion remained silent rather than speak out for the rule of law and the value of diplomacy.

And where was the American Bar Association when politicians conveniently overlooked Article 51 of the UN Charter to applaud a preemptive first strike and when official policy encouraged prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo?

There is another party to blame. Ourselves. We the American people are complicit. We failed to muster enough support to stop the war in 2003, and we reelected the president who put it in motion. In so doing, we not only condoned the US occupation but also failed to hold the administration accountable for the war and for the shocking abuses of human rights that became part and parcel of that occupation.

It is up to us to say: ''Enough. Bring the troops home now."

L. MICHAEL HAGER, Washington, D.C.
The writer is former executive director of the Conflict Management Group in Cambridge.