A week before The New York Times devoted a 3-square-inch box to the deaths of Peter K. Cross and Steven T. Drees on page A9 of the national edition, the newspaper editorialized about the war that was to kill them.

Beginning with its headline — "Afghanistan's Failing Forces" — the June 23 editorial was replete with erudite lamentation (not to be confused with grief). The war has been managed so badly. Two authoritative sentences bookended the editorial: "The n ...

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