None of this matters since the hearts and minds are gone. The minutes the troops leave, the country side reverts to overt support of the insurgency. I wonder if they will want to take Fallujah, again?

"Strategy document calls for extra 20,000 troops, aid for Iraqi army and regional summit."

Apparently Bush & Co. have subverted the Baker panel.

"The strategy, along with other related proposals, is being circulated in draft form and has been discussed in separate closed sessions with Mr Baker and the vice-president Dick Cheney, an Iraq war hawk."

The "regional summit" is primarily Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. No Jordan, and Iran and Syria are "iffy".

"Point two of the plan stresses the importance of regional cooperation to the successful rehabilitation of Iraq. This could involve the convening of an international conference of neighbouring countries or more direct diplomatic, financial and economic involvement of US allies such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"The extent to which that [regional cooperation] will include talking to Iran and Syria is still up for debate," said Patrick Cronin, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "Externally, US policy is focused on what is achievable. Some quarters believe Syria in some ways could be helpful. There are more doubts about Iran but Iran holds more cards. Some think it's worth a try."

It sure looks as if the "winner" in all of this will be Iran, emerging, as we have read, as the regional superpower. And this last-ditch effort to save face for GWB is gonna cost more innocent lives.

Arf