Eric
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It sounds like Operation Together Forward, Take 2. So it is not a big change. But the different details such as troops living in the neighborhoods, extra troops for Anbar province as well, and the Iraqi government knowing (from election results as much as Bush saying it) the US doesn't have indefinite patience will help. It will either work or the next choice will be withdrawing, I don't think anyone will ever try the alternate of even more troops.
Anonymous
It's typical. Off topic, but I was just watching a Face the nation podcast and Nancy Pelosi said "the new congress is ready, now, to use their constitutional authority of oversight" to question the prestident for justification for the spending in the war on Iraq.
Now that says it all, doesn't it? That is an acknowledgment that our Congress and Senate has committed Constitutional disrespect, at the very least, since Bush took office.
Additionally, you won't hear a thing about that comment again. It went right over everyone's head, but it really says it all if you ask me. it's time for someone to give Washington, D.C. an enema.
TK
There are really no tests for these kinds of action as nothing short of a complete invasion and annihilation of the opponents (i.e. the Mongols or the early Roman Empire) has ever succeeded in changing the rule of a nation from without.
In 75, our late President Ford asked to escalate forces in Vietnam hoping to attempt to accomplish the same thing, or at least stave off the North Vietnamese. After he was turned down for his idea to escalate forces, the South Vietnamese capitol fell in a few months--which, I guess, infers to our President that a pullout without complete victory would only lead to a similar failure in this instance.
The kind of change our leaders are looking for can only come from within that beleaguered nation. Unless we are going to run things there or wipe the slate clean (which would perpetuate our image as the new imperialists of the world), there isn't a precedent for this action that we can think of. Even when the U.S. and its alles occupied Berlin after World War II, the true changes to Germany and its neighbors came from the natives of those lands.
Of course a worse alternative to this plan is NO PLAN.
Anonymous
He was told by a few Generals, these guys like went to West Point and stuff, that its either go no or get out. He didnt listen then and he aint listening now. Give a lil boy a war toy and he will play war.
I hope he doesnt make any more Widows or Widowers of the Americans that either voted for or against him.
My opinion is that if McNamara was talking to him he would say the same thing that he said to President Johnson, get out now or stay in and fight. Either way this is no win situation.
Anonymous
I try really, really, really hard not to bash President Bush because I want to respect him and avoid being one of those crazy liberals who calls the guy a Nazi.
But I just don't understand this decision. Why wait so long to do what you were going to do in the first place? It seems like he didn't listen to any alternative opinions whatsoever.
Oh well. The decision is made now. Let's hope he's right.