Appeasement? Who ever authored this article is just a Bush hater. The Taliban consists of many nationals. They had their home base in Afghanistan so after 9/11/01 we kicked their butts. Iraq gave the U.N. the middle finger on all terms laid out after the first Gulf war. The United States was the only country that had the gonads to take action and gave fair warning before invading. No other country except the Brits and Australia helped. Iran - - President Bush doesn't want to invade that country and never stated so. He stated "all options are on the table". It will be hell to see in the future when Iran shoots a few nuclear warheads towards countries it hates because the U.N. and the wimpy Euorpean countries didn't and couldn't stop their program which where for "peaceful purposes." I do agree that the U.S. should close down the bases in Japan, South Korea, Germany and let those A-holes fend for themselves. They hate the U.S. anyways. I know! I spent 30 years in the military and a lot of time in those anti-American countries. They are not our friends. I also agree with the author's following statement "The time to be the world's policeman has ended. It is time to tend to our own homes and gardens."