Mark Steyn, writing in IDB, poses a good question in the wake of the terrorist attack by a Kosovoan Muslim on an American military bus at the Frankfort airport; why are American forces still in Germany?

A decade on, Kosovo is a sorta sovereign state, and in Frankfurt a young airport employee is so grateful for what America did for his people that he guns down U.S. servicemen while yelling "Allahu akbar!"

The strange shrunken spectator who serves as President of the United States, offering what he called "a few words about the tragic event that took place," announced that he was "saddened," and expressed his "gratitude for the service of those who were lost" and would "spare no effort" to "work with the German authorities" but it was a "stark reminder" of the "extraordinary sacrifices that our men and women in uniform are making . . ."

The passivity of these remarks is very telling. Men and women "in uniform" (which it's not clear these airmen were even wearing) understand they may be called upon to make "extraordinary sacrifices" in battle. They do not expect to be "lost" on the shuttle bus at the hands of a civilian employee at a passenger air terminal in an allied nation.

But then I don't suppose their comrades expected to be "lost" at the hands of an army major at Fort Hood, to cite the last "tragic event" that "took place" - which seems to be the president's preferred euphemism for a guy opening fire while screaming "Allahu akbar!"

The hallmark of liberal intervention is that it must be seen as selfless. That is, no American interests whatsoever can be at stake to muddy the heroic picture liberals have of themselves when they selflessly expend American blood and treasure - not theirs, of course - in the name of "humanity" or "peace" or whatever made up goal our military is supposed to achieve.