which mission? I only ask because if the mission is the total elimination of the insurgency - that's not going to happen. we can't accomplish that in most major cities in the US - OK, they aren't using IEDs, but we have some 17000 murders in the USA each year. how safe do you expect Iraq to be?
the news is, that although you want to flame freepers who are simply saying "change the plan" as being anti-military, the changes are coming in 2006. these iraqi forces had better be ready, because they are going to be stood up to protect themselves.
the real interesting part is that when the troop reductions are announced - alot of freepers are going to shout "we are cutting and running". we aren't, the situation has to evolve, we can't just continue losing 50+ soldiers a month driving down roads in convoys. we've got to turn the corner. that's what americans want to see (the hard core Dem nuts aside), its not that they want "instant victory", they want this thing to be in the rear view mirror, not the windshield.
I prefer to trust the commanders in the field for what's best there, not somebody in his basement typing at a keyboard.
And I trust the President. Flame away.......