The Republican mantra has consistently been the US can't "cut and run" even though we had "mission accomplished" three years ago.

The rubric is the Iraqi forces need time to be trained to run their own government, do their own policing, learn the necessary military functions required to develop and maintain Iraqi soverignty. The state of war existing in Iraq is being learned on the ground in Iraq and it takes time for the Iraqi forces to be trained to take control of their own destinys. To accomplish this, the Bush administration has handed the new Iragi leadership a blank check for their national unity government. The militias would only hunker down until an American withdrawl and re-arm and re-establish themselves upon a date set for exit, therefore, no exit policy is in place even though polling indicates 90% of Sunni and 90% of Shia want our troops out of their country. This administration has taken the position they are in a better position to determine when Iraqiis are capable of exercising their own soverignty.

Inasmuch as US forces have been charged with the training function for the Iraqi forces, I will have to admit to a degree of confusion. When we take an American high school graduate, induct him into the military, it is no problem to predict to the day the time it will take to train him to be functional in his MOS. We can say exactly how long to teach a little boy from rural Georgia to drive a tank, a truck, fly a plane, or shoot a gun. If our military has the ability to train a Liberty City drop out, how come it requires an open-ended preparation to ready Iraqiis to run their own show? Unless, or course, that is not the administration objective? Perhaps the "Decider" like to also be the "Occupier?"

The US Senate observed a moment of silence to reflect and honor the fallen warriors we have serving in Iraq when the number of fatalities reached 2500. I have the queasy feeling in my stomach this administration would not be much bothered to observe # 3,000 or even 10,000.

Or, perhaps there is a secret plan for exit that has not been released to the American people? Sorta like the highly publicised domestic terrorism bust we just had in Miami re-inforces the need for a national anti-terror apparatus, justifies capital expenditures to protect a frightened populace. Would an administration announcement in October keep the American people from clearing house of Republicans in congressional elections?

Naw, even Karl Rove wouldn't design such a scenario.

Publius