With the situation in Iraq rapidly deteriorating and American casualties continue to grow (not to mention the scores of Iraqis killed daily), it was inevitable that a number of veterans of the war would begin to speak their peace. The New York Times' Neela Banerjee writes about two such groups of soldiers in Sunday's paper:

Sean Huze enlisted in the Marine Corps right after the Sept. 11 attacks and was, in his own words, "red, white and blue all the way" when he deployed to Iraq 16 months later. Unquestioning in his support of the invasion, he grew irritated when his father, a former National Guardsman, expressed doubts about the war.

Today, all that has changed. Haunted by the civilian casualties he witnessed, Corporal Huze has become one of a small but increasing number of Iraq veterans who have formed or joined groups to oppose the war or to criticize the way it is being fought.

The two most visible organizations - Operation Truth, of which Corporal Huze is a member, and Iraq Veterans Against the War - were founded only last summer but are growing in membership and sophistication. The Internet has helped them spread their word and galvanize like-minded people in ways unimaginable to activist veterans of previous generations, who are also lending help.

Banerjee reports that the two groups are growing rapidly and becoming increasingly vocal. Though it's not time to withdraw all troops from Iraq, this administration must come up with an exit strategy immediately (something it should have done before the war) so Iraq does not become this generation's Vietnam.