[bnelson44]

Anthony C. Zinni, a retired four-star general who formerly led Central Command, strongly opposed the decision to invade Iraq, fearing that it might lead to sectarian fighting and regional destabilization. But now that American forces have occupied the country, General Zinni fears that a troop withdrawal will compound the instability. The notion that the United States can pressure the Iraqis to take more responsibility for their own security, the general said, was impractical: with Iraqi security forces still not ready, militias would fill the gap.

General Zinni said it made sense to keep American forces at current levels for a year or so before gradually reducing troop levels and executing a strategy to try to keep Iraq’s instability from spreading. “When we are in Iraq we are in many ways containing the violence,” he said. “If we back off we give it more room to breathe, and it may metastasize in some way and become a regional problem. We don’t have to be there at the same force level, but it is a five- to seven-year process to get any reasonable stability in Iraq.”

[b4its2late]

New York Slimes? Wow. Their circulation must be down.....

[familyop]

"Increased Strife Is Foreseen in Iraq if U.S. Troops Leave"

I reckon, seeing as how it will become a province of Iran and all. Our expensive bluff doesn't appear to be working, and we don't have the national will to do what needs to be done in Iran.

[ex-snook]

What’s the problem? So let them strife. We shouldn’t pay one life to stop them killing each other. If they want to kill each other, let’s get out of the way. Our job is still bin Laden and that is to find him dead or alive.

[TOneocon]

From The New York Times??? What page did you find this on....Z-67??

[Loyal Buckeye]

The Mideast is a cesspool.

Stopping A. Q. Khan was worth the investment of going into Iraq.

[badpacifist]

Well duh ... ping