OK, the new plan has been outlined, so what do people think? Here's the fact sheet from the White House's web site:
Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq
Overview:
Great ideas, all of them. I'm having trouble figuring out what the "new" part is, though. Haven't we been trying to do this all along?
I haven't seen Bush's actual speech, but I gather that the most significant part about it was him admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for them. Too little, too late, IMO, especially when the admission of mistakes is not accompanied by a significant change in course to correct those mistakes.
I dunno. In the interest of trying to put this in the best possible light, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that, on the ground, things will actually be different and try to have some patience. On the other hand, as McCain said when he first advocated a troop surge, if it is apparent that the troop surge isn't working after a reasonable amount of time, we've got to pull them back so that we aren't just providing insurgents with more targets...
Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq
Overview:
The President's New Iraq Strategy Is Rooted In Six Fundamental Elements:
1. Let the Iraqis lead;
2. Help Iraqis protect the population;
3. Isolate extremists;
4. Create space for political progress;
5. Diversify political and economic efforts; and
6. Situate the strategy in a regional approach.
1. Let the Iraqis lead;
2. Help Iraqis protect the population;
3. Isolate extremists;
4. Create space for political progress;
5. Diversify political and economic efforts; and
6. Situate the strategy in a regional approach.
I haven't seen Bush's actual speech, but I gather that the most significant part about it was him admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for them. Too little, too late, IMO, especially when the admission of mistakes is not accompanied by a significant change in course to correct those mistakes.
I dunno. In the interest of trying to put this in the best possible light, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that, on the ground, things will actually be different and try to have some patience. On the other hand, as McCain said when he first advocated a troop surge, if it is apparent that the troop surge isn't working after a reasonable amount of time, we've got to pull them back so that we aren't just providing insurgents with more targets...
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