RESIZING THE FORCE

There is no question that the United States must finish what it started with the invasion of Iraq. Success there is the foundation upon which any meaningful policy in the Middle East must be built and the bedrock upon which the war on terrorism must be based.

The American military presence there is going to cost us $4 billion a month for the near future. Most countries are not rushing to provide soldiers or money to help rebuild Iraq.

A few on Capitol Hill have suggested -- to the horror of Defense Secretary Donald L. Rumsfeld and his civilians who run the Pentagon -- that the Army end-strength needs to be increased by as much as a fourth, or as many as 114,500 more troops.

As painful as this may be in a time of huge budget deficits, it may well be time for those who have gotten used to spending defense money for other things to prepare to do the right thing.

If we are to police the world -- and no one besides our British cousins seems eager to help -- then we need enough police officers to do the job.

Indeed.