I can understand why some Americans either don't think we are in a 'real' war or that the Iraq Front is 'Bush's War'. I can understand that, when the Bush Administration doesn't seem to act as if we are in a 'real' war that we MUST win.
So, now, in January 2007 we're going after the Iranian/Syrian networks in Iraq. So, what have you been doing for the past 4 years as Iran/Syria have worked to de-stabilize Iraq.
Khalizad has to know this and he has to know that losing a few people in Iraq will NOT change the behavior of the Iranian/Syrian governments. This problem started, when then Secretary of State Colin Powell toward Assad in Syria in May of 2003, just weeks after toppling Saddam, that the US was not going to invade Syria. Strategy 101: "Don't tell the enemy what you are going to do". Now, we have Tony Snow and others telling the Iranians that we are not going to attack inside Iran.
Are we at war or are we not? If Bush isn't serious about winning this World War, let's cut and run and get the heck out of Dodge. Americans aren't an imperial people and have no history or intention of conducting low-intensity wars for the purpose of "managing terrorism". The Dems should actually be very happy with how Bush is conducting the war, he's conducting the war in a PC manner right up the street of the libs. This is how the Dems would fight a war (see Viet Nam).
Iran/Syrian should be read the riot act. Stop all aggressive actions. Stop all nuclear programs. Or your regimes will be destroyed. Then destroy those regimes and destroy Iran's nuke facilities.
This will help stabilize Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and give US policy of democratization a chance to take hold. It will wipe out the greatest supporters of terrorism. That's how a 'real' war would be fought.
Bush is sticking his finger in the eye of the Dem's with his surge, but it's not going to be enough. You can't win in Iraq when you have 'safe havens' and state support coming out of Iran/Syrian.
I say let's redeploy out of Iraq and first into Syria, then into Iran. That's what a world war would look like, but 4 years of dicking around is pissing off the American People for lack of winning. Start winning and regain your support Mr President.
Yeah, it sad to see this affair in Iraq being so badly handled. The guys in White House have been playing too much Monopoly and getting it mixed up with the Iraq war.
The OP sure would enjoy the shock and awe of watching their facilities go up in flames.