Any opinions on Bush's plan?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There is no plan. It is just more of the same, or as Bush would say, we'll keep moving forward. But to all the bewildered it is the background scenery that is moving and not their feet.

America must be really dumb. Not only do they vote the numb skull in twice but they are still listening to him. Seriously, how can you allow such a numb skull leader to run your country and unfortunately due to America's power he pretty much runs the world.

Well, General Abizaid, reputed to be one of the best people we had was removed because he completely disagreed with it. He testified in mid December before the Armed Services Committee. At that time he though adding soldiers was a bad idea and said that the division commaders (?) under him were all uniformly against it. Like Shinsecki, who disagreed at the beginnng of the war he is was replaced. So much for listen to the trrops.

Bush should have listened to the ISG.

I think his plan can be summed pretty succinctly by saying that Bush plan proves that old saying about about Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas, their war plans, their troop deployments and even their morons as Bush has once again proven tonight.

It the same plan we have been hearing for three years just new set words from the mouths of Bush and Rove.

It will not work.

Let me put it this way. The American and Iraqi forces is a mixture of oil and water.

Take out the oil, and leave the water. Let the water seek its own level.

Whatever that may cost, in lives, or in deflation of bloated egos of those who think they can win everything.

Let the water seek its own level.