It has been one year since Iraqis reclaimed control over their country in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion. It has been a long year, marked more by disappointment than hope. Political squabbles among Iraq's political leaders as well as an ongoing -- some would say escalating -- insurgency have dampened dreams of a unified nation taking command of its destiny. It is still too early to give up on Iraq, but helping that beleaguered country requires, above all, a realistic appraisal of what is going on there and a strategy that adapts to those conditions. Neither seems to be in place.

It is easy to be pessimistic about Iraq's prospects. In the year since the Coalition Provisional Authority handed power back to Iraqis, violence has dominated daily life. There are an average of 400 to 500 insurgent attacks each week. There have been about 500 car bombs in the past year. It is estimated that more than 1,000 civilians have died since April 28 as a result of terror attacks. More than 1,065 coalition troops have been killed since June 28, 2004 (878 of them Americans).

An Iraqi military has been established, but the insurgents' strategy of targeting security forces has scared off recruits and many others who had joined. Oil exports are lagging and unemployment still exceeds 25 percent. Baghdad has electricity for less than 10 hours a day, and most other basic human needs, such as clean water, are in short supply. Less than half of the $20 billion that has been allocated for reconstruction projects has been disbursed.