First, let me be clear...no matter what the Iraqi polls say, we have no choice but to continue the reconstruction of Iraq. To abandon these people now after we brought them war and chaos would be the worst choice we could make. We are in it for the long haul no matter what.

But a quick run of the numbers helps explain why this effort is so difficult and dangerous. Here's a direct quote from that article:

"However, a sizable minority felt that circumstances could occur in which attacks against the troops could be justified. Almost one in five, 19 percent, said attacks could be justified, and an additional 17 percent said they could be in some situations."

In a country of 22 million, "one in five" equals almost four and a half million people. Add to that the "additional 17 percent" and you have almost eight million people able and willing to justify violence against American troops in Iraq. Of course, not all of these are able bodied adults willing to actually commit such crimes. But it suggests that there is a sizeable and persistent pool of Iraqi citizens who remain willing and motivated to conduct attacks against American personnel there.

This is the problem the Bush administration didn't discuss with the American people, nor plan for in the heady days leading to the war. Its this reality that should cause any nation to question whether or not it has made an effective case for war well before it proceeds. In this is where the true incompetence of the Bush administration lies.

But we are now there. So lets hold Mr. Bush responsible for recklessly putting us there in the first place. And lets hold him accountible for succeeding in rebuilding that nation. We cannot leave, no matter what the polls say. We must succeed. We're stuck with it whether we like it or not.