We are not leaving Iraq any time soon. Iraq is only part of the total picture and pales in comparison when considering the improtance of the Gulf states that will be in jeprody if we leave.
Please recall that the war wit Iraq began in 1991 and is continuous to this day. Military operations were ongoing all through the Clinton administration on a daily basis.
You must take a long horizin of 25 or 50 years and consider all events as a blip on that time frame. The Democrats are making no friends by talking big for political gain. They know they won’t leave even in 10 or more years. They Leave, America dies. It’s that simple.
Besides myself I have seen several polls and more and more people are wanting to get out. You may be right about the long term but there won’t be any kinda term but instant humiliation and defeat for USA and Republicans if a Dem wins in 08 and withdraws. It’ll be blamed on Bush & Republicans for decades. At least this way Bush can claim some kind of victory for peace and democracy up north and redeploy a decent amount of troops up with the Kurds. I want to win as bad as the next guy but these Iraqis need to do something for themselves, for crying out loud the Kurds did (frustration at them, not you). It’s just like Africa, you can send all the aid there you want but until they do it themselves it’s gonna be a mess.