A column in today's Wall Street Journal uses the metaphor of a helicopter to explain the repeated withdrawals of American force from troubled regions during the past three decades. It also offers the thoughts of some key Arab leaders and what they perceive to be the will of the American leadership after President Bush leaves office. Here are two key paragraphs:
 

To hear Mr. Abbasi (a foreign policy spokesman in Iran) tell it the entire recent history of the U.S. could be narrated with the help of the image of "the last helicopter." It was that image in Saigon that concluded the Vietnam War under Gerald Ford. Jimmy Carter had five helicopters fleeing from the Iranian desert, leaving behind the charred corpses of eight American soldiers. Under Ronald Reagan the helicopters carried the corpses of 241 Marines murdered in their sleep in a Hezbollah suicide attack. Under the first President Bush, the helicopter flew from Safwan, in southern Iraq, with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf aboard, leaving behind Saddam Hussein's generals, who could not believe why they had been allowed live to fight their domestic foes, and America, another day. Bill Clinton's helicopter was a Black Hawk, downed in Mogadishu and delivering 16 American soldiers into the hands of a murderous crowd.

According to this theory, President George W. Bush is an "aberration," a leader out of sync with his nation's character and no more than a brief nightmare for those who oppose the creation of an "American Middle East." Messrs. Abbasi and Ahmadinejad have concluded that there will be no helicopter as long as George W. Bush is in the White House. But they believe that whoever succeeds him, Democrat or Republican, will revive the helicopter image to extricate the U.S. from a complex situation that few Americans appear to understand.

The author of this piece concludes that President Bush has read a different mood among American at this time that says, "stay the course". I think it safe to say that George Bush does not read polls any more than he read most daily newspapers when it comes to determining his mind on American policy. As long as he holds office he will continue the present strategy for dealing with terrorists and nations who present a clear and present danger to American interests. After Bush, who knows.

America's "pride" of power has seen a resurgence since 9/11. How long the will and spirit of the American people to sustain it's present role in the world will be up to one important factor. In Leviticus 26:19 God says that because of sin and disobedience to His laws He will "...break the pride of your power". He is speaking to ancient Israel and it applies to America today. You can read the background to why this applies to America and Britain in our booklet The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy.

America has had defeats and retreats in the past forty years, but it has not had the pride of its power broken. This verse tells us it will not happen till God does it through a number of events that will result in a complete reversal of fortunes. Until then it is not wise to bet against America. You can read the remainder of the WSJ article here.