[Prost1]

It is not rocket science. We conquered Iraq (in effect) too quickly. Saddam's "crack troops" of 50,000 Republican Guard disappeared. Saddam released thousands of rapists, murderers and other low-life.

Conclusion, we did not kill enough of the enemy.

Solution. Kill more of the enemy. Change the "Rules of Engagement" to "Find the enemy, Kill the enemy!" Seal off the key cities and mow thru the streets searching the enemy out. If the streets are narrow, mow down buildings and make thoroughfares.
Let the people know that unless they support the government their life will be even worse than it is with the threat of the enemy. More indescriminate bombing. More 24 hour Rock & Roll or Rap Music.
Beatles "I want to hold your hand" 24/7 to let them know what torture is!
These are but initial suggestions....

[Malesherbes]

My solution is simple (maybe simplistic) but I think realistic. Build a Ramstein-type air base in friendly Kurd territory in the north and guarantee Kurdish autonomy. (That presence will intimidate the rest of Iraq and Iraq's neighbors. It will also oversee half of Iraq's oil.)

Leave the Shiite majority to fight it out with the Sunnis in the south.

[peyton randolph]

Buchanan continues to use 'neocon' as a code word for "GOP Jew." The only consistency in Buchanan's stances over time (and I've followed his career for over 2 decades) is that he dislikes Israel in particular and Jews in general.

I find it interesting how Buchanan cites Snowcroft's criticism yet neglects to mention that Snowcroft was advising the Kerry campaign, ticked off that W hadn't bowed to his 'wisdom' during the first four years. Selective journalism by Buchanan puts him in the same league as Dan Rather...take what he says with a grain of salt.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

If I want WOT advice from this moron I'll ask for it.

[advance_copy]

Indeed, if there are 30,000 enemy fighters in Iraq, the United States, with 150,000 troops in country, lacks the forces to defeat them. By the old measure of guerrilla war, a defender needs a 10-to-one advantage.
Inaccurate: The terrorists in Iraq do not constitute a guerilla insurgency. They don't have the support of their neighbors and only survive through intimidating and killing civilians.

And Rumsfeld is sending retired Gen. Gary Luck to Iraq to conduct an "open-ended review" of U.S. war policy.
Inaccurate: General Luck's mission is specifically to review training of the Iraqi Army. He has NOT been tasked with any "review of U.S. war policy.

Dissent in the U.S. establishment is growing louder. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser to George H.W. Bush, fears the elections, by giving the Shia majority dominance of Iraqi politics, could lead to "incipient civil war." Scowcroft thinks America's best bet may be to turn Iraq over to the United Nations or NATO, whose presence might be less detested and inflammatory than our own. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, seems even more pessimistic...
Inaccurate: No "growing louder" here. Scowcroft and Brzezinski were vociferous critics of President Bush and have been promoting UN/NATO control of Iraq since before the war started.

If the insurgents can put 10,000 more fighters into the field, we would then need 400,000 troops to defeat them. It is difficult to believe President Bush intends any such commitment.
Inaccurate: President Bush said yesterday once again that the military commanders will get whatever they need.

Bottom line: While Buchanan seems to think that the U.S. military is not up to the task, Saddam's strategy of melting his army into the Sunni triangle once we got close to Baghdad and using terrorism against the U.S. (a strategy he adopted and used years BEFORE the war started) is failing.

[justa-hairyape]

Scowcroft thinks America's best bet may be to turn Iraq over to the United Nations or NATO, whose presence might be less detested and inflammatory than our own.

Their presence there would be less detested and inflammatory because the muslim terrorists would have their way with them.

[Tom Bombadil]

This whole W/ Neocon thing is a fabrication anyway. The people who work for W reflect his way of doing things.

Neocons are convenient constructs of a left needing boogy men.

[dighton]

“Mumble . . . neocons. Mumble mumble . . . empire. Mumble mumble mumble . . . neocons.”