The dogs of war were released in Afghanistan more than a decade ago – and are now out of our control. News broke this week of a murder spree in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province committed by at least one US soldier against Afghan civilians. Reuters reports that as many as 3 American soldiers, who appeared to be drunk, opened fire in a small village at around 2am Sunday morning – shooting dead 16 civilians – including nine children.

One soldier has surrendered in connection with the attacks, which President Obama referred to as “tragic and shocking.” This latest incident is sure to spark another episode of violence in that unstable, war-torn nation – just as the Quran burning incident did a few weeks ago. The Taliban has vowed to avenge the killings, calling them a “blood-soaked and inhumane crime.”

Meanwhile, 60% of Americans now believe this war is not worth fighting. Let Afghanistan serve as a lesson to all those who are calling for more war with Iran – because it’s very easy to release the dogs of war – and much, much harder to bring them back.