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'A combat officer Marine WOULD NOT publicly call for an abandonment of Iraq and embolden an armed enemy with Marines there and in harms way.'

This seems to be the worst aspect of the current 'run for the exits' strategists. Either for reasons of personal loathing of the president or insatiable desire for political power they advocate the most obvious scenario for making any bad scene worse. These folks ought be called the 'Jubilation T Cornpone faction.' They would turn a very likely success into a rout and provide the greatest boost to the morale of the terrorists possible. What would the effect of an obvious defeat for the US in Iraq, a clear scuttle as in Somalia? Proof that the US is defeatable and like coyotes or dingos circling their prey the vermin pack would immediately close in to attack Americans and American interests everywhere around the world including in the US.