President Dwight Eisenhower, probably wisely, was not willing to risk World War III by having U.S. forces directly challenge Soviet hegemony in Hungary. During the past half-century we have sometimes combated oppression abroad and sometimes ignored it: Those are difficult judgment calls. But how should we act when the United States has made direct and unambiguous vows of support?

Look at what happened to brave people in Vietnam and Cambodia when we abandoned those who had sided with us. And look at what may happen to our friends in Afghanistan and Iraq if we tire of our commitments there.

Just before the Iraq War began in 2003, Parliament member Ann Clwyd rose in the House of Commons to read statements by Iraqi eyewitnesses concerning Saddam Hussein's brutality. One account described how men were dropped into a machine designed for shredding plastic: "Sometimes they went in headfirst and died quickly. Sometimes they went in feet first and died screaming. It was horrible. I saw 30 people die like this. Their remains would be placed in plastic bags and we were told they would be used as fish food."

Do we want those shredding machines to be fired up once again?