I did not imply that the Administration or anyone else running this campaign was stupid enough not to know what was going on. I said that a certain amount of this was to be expected, was obvious to probably everyone, and has to be dealt with, preferably by the Iraqis themselves.

We have to continue turning over security to the Iraqis if this is ever going to succeed, and the fact that there are problems involved doesn't change that necessity.

And regardless of the difficulty of the current course, your alternative of leaving Saddam and his murderous sons in power for the next forty years (dictators with a proven history of international aggression, delusions of empire, pursuit of WMD, and support of terror groups) in hopes that they would take up knitting under the overwhelming threat of Hans "Magoo" Blix's disapproval was not the better choice.