Just connect the dots

OP-ED: "After the Surge: The Administration Floats Ideas for a New Approach in Iraq," By David Ignatius, May 22, 2007; Page A15

Bingo!

This fits what I've been predicting in the brief for months (also stated in "State of the World"):

Iraq: The Quagmire

... Following our last best effort on the "surge," the inevitable U.S. drawdown--and "drawback" from combat roles--will look like Vietnam in reverse: We shift from direct action to advising locals ...

There is no "Iraq" any more than there was a "Yugoslavia," so America will have to accept this Humpty Dumpty outcome for what it is: a Balkans done backward.

Not rocket science to predict, just horizontal thinking that connects the dots temporally.

Comments

[Lexington Green]

Ignatius points out that a bipartisan consensus is the goal for a new policy. Unfortunately, the Democrats seem committed to "the war is lost" -- since that gives them the greatest electoral advantage. So, a compromise that salvages anything out of Iraq is not in their interest. Politically, the helicopters pulling off the roof and the whole place going up in smoke creates the strongest anti-GOP, anti-Bush images. The Ds need (a) an unambiguous defeat in Iraq, and (2) the ability to blame it squarely on W and the GOP, and (3) both of the foregoing before the 2008 election. This looks achievable. It will be very difficult to get them to sacrifice that prospect and the backlash it will generate against the GOP. If your political enemy sticks his head in the guillotine, as Bush and the GOP have done in Iraq, it is a rare politician who will pull them out rather than pulling on the rope. I think Pelosi is not likely to give W any help on this one.

[Michael]

One party wants a withdrawal before the election regardless of whether it's a good idea or not. The other wants any such decision postponed until after the election-- regardless of whether postponing is actually a good idea or not.

*sigh*There are days when changing my voter registration back to Independent is SOO tempting. . .