Wrong problem, wrong solution

McCain Seeks to Build Republican Victory Momentum
Edwin Chen and James Rowley
Wed Jan 9, 2008
Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain, thrust into the top rank of Republican presidential candidates by his victory in the New Hampshire primary, challenged Democrats to acknowledge recent U.S. success in Iraq.

The Arizona senator vowed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq until their commander, General David Petraeus, says it is safe to start bringing them home.

McCain is not alone:
Except for Representative Ron Paul — who wants all troops withdrawn immediately but is hardly going to be the nominee — the Republican candidates are slavishly wedded to Mr. Bush’s policy of war without end. All oppose a pullout timetable. Even Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who accused Mr. Bush of pursuing a foreign policy with an “arrogant bunker mentality,” has promised not to withdraw troops any faster than recommended by Gen. David Petraeus, the military commander in Iraq who created the current “surge” strategy and has been cautious about force reductions.
NYT Editorial, 12 Jan 08

Sorry, folks. Iraq stopped being a military problem as soon as we defeated Saddam's forces in Baghdad in Apr 2003.

Since then it has been a political problem, both in Iraq and here at home.

We committed too few troops to control the population after the fall of Saddam's regime. Rumsfeld conceded political defeat when, in response to rioting and general civil unrest, he responded, "Stuff happens." W's swaggering, "Bring 'em on!" didn't help, but by that time - July 2003 - we'd already lost the political war.

W demonstrated that his disdain for governing extended to Iraq.

Back then, W was fond of WWII analogies - the wonders we achieved in post-war Germany & Japan... ignoring the fact that we and the allies had upwards of 1,000,000 troops in post-war Germany for a year. In both Japan & Germany, Allied forces ran the government - local and national. Civil order was maintained by our massive military presence.

"Winning" the Iraq war is not now a military problem. We surrendered that option when we opted for the Rumsfeld Doctrine: few troops, lots of bombs.

With due respect, Gen. Petraus's opinions are irrelevant to the current situation.

Is our continuing occupation worth it? Does it buy us increased national security? What, exactly, does it buy?

We're squandering our security - military, political, and economic - on the occupation. It's past time to leave.

Yes - Iraq is likely to devolve into a horrid, warlord-controlled quasi-state. It will no longer be our problem.

Perhaps then international partners can be found to help rescue our fiasco.

Stop the madness!