It's worth remembering as we consider the consequences of exiting Iraq along the lines advocated by some Washington politicians.

“The first stage," Zawahiri wrote in his July 2005 letter to Zarqawi, is to “expel the Americans from Iraq.” He also counseled Zarqawi to be prepared:

[T]hings may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam -- and how they ran and left their agents is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them. We must take the initiative and impose a fait accompli upon our enemies, instead of the enemy imposing one on us, wherein our lot would be to merely resist their schemes.

Such an outcome will be anything but “peace with honor.”