Exit Strategy

Watching all the "kibuki" with Patraeus and Crocker I can't help but conclude that the White House has somehow managed to fight the "withdraw now crowd" to some kind of draw and a draw at this point in the game means that Bush will see his "exit strategy" through to the end. His strategy is, of course, to kick the ball down the field and keep a large military presence in Iraq through the end of his term and let the next and Democratic president suffer the what will be a painful and bloody withdrawal.

Sooner or later we are going to have to leave, if for no other reason than we run out of bullets and soldiers. When we do the violence will escalate and a lot of people will die and something will happen to the country we now know as Iraq. Most likely it will devolve into three or four sub countries controlled by a single religious sect. Bush doesn't want to admit his mistake and defeat and will leave the onerous chore to his successor.

Unless something big happens to push a lot of congress persons over the "get out now line' I am not seeing the political will to do anything but to keep funding this mess. I hope I am wrong but it looks more and more like more death for Americans and Iraqis.

Of course, it goes without saying that the longer we sustain the violence in Iraq with our presence the entire region is at risk of breaking out into war and the risk of us doing something in Iran gets more and more likely. We are at the point where we are being left with nothing but bad options and having to chose what we hope will be the least bad. Not a good position to be in.