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You're not looking carefully enough. Concerted effort to secure Baghdad, concerted effort to hit anbar province, concerted effort to hit the militias. The dissent comment was tongue in cheek. I'm a democracy guy, so I understand the importance of dissension. Not to say I don't think people abuse the notion now and then.
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Acccording to Abizaid's testimony in Dec, he, Casey and all the commanders on the ground indicated that more troops were not required...to secure Baghdad, hit Anbar, or take out the militias. The plan also has NO real benchmarks to hold the Iraqis accountable for demonstrating progress on either the security or polical front.
And you are also making the same narrow assumptions as Greg - either support the Bush plan or withdraw the troops:
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I can't support a total withdrawal of troops quite yet. There seem to be too many dynamics still at work in Iraq, from the question of whether the militias can be destroyed, to whether political compromises can be made, to an Iraqi security force that still needs manpower, training, and supplies. Since no one else outside of the coalition seems interested in helping Iraq, it is the coalition's responsibility to get it back running, and it needs more time. If I were a senator, I would vote in favor of giving them that time. It has turned into a situation where to stop now would make null and void any and all contributions and sacrifices made by our soldiers. Only by quitting will their losses be in vain.
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How many times must it be said that there are other viable options, with a much greater emphasis on political and diplomatic solutions.
There are many who believe it is time to
hold the Iraqis more accountable in a definable measurable way, both in terms of politcal progress among the sectarian interests and in terms of training the ISF, while continuing our support in a different manner than a growing face of US military occupation with no end in sight.
Without such benchmarks and a firm and clearly understood timetable for the Iraqis to act, they will continue to suck off the US tit and our guys will continue to be in the cross-fire of what the recent NIE says is primarily a sectarian civil war.