Howard Dean likens Iraq war to Vietnam

WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, likened the war in Iraq to Vietnam yesterday and said, ''The idea that the United States is going to win the war in Iraq is just plain wrong," comments that drew immediate fire from Republicans.

In an interview with WOAI-AM in San Antonio, Dean criticized what he called President Bush's ''permanent commitment to a failed strategy" while saying, ''We need to be out of there and take the targets off our troops' back." Dean suggested ''a strategic redeployment" of US troops over the next two years.