Writing on the wall
Although I love Doug Jehl's reporting and also respect Carl Levin's foreign policy efforts, the framing of this New York Times story is exactly what I've been worried about since the Iraq war began. Basically, the proposed deadline for withdrawal is contingent on Iraqis' setting up their new constitution by next February: get your act together or else. It's pretty obvious how this will play out. When we're forced to withdraw most of the troops (possibly with a sizable contingent stationed in "strategic" areas, principally defined in relation to oil supplies), and when Iraq's civil war worsens, we'll blame the Iraqis. I mean, we gave them a shot! Who could have predicted they'd screw it up? Who needs accountability -- or a coherent foreign policy -- in Washington when we've got fall guys in Falujah?
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