COLUMN: 09-12-2007

After being asked to wait for months to see if the troop surge "change in strategy" (actually a tactical change, not a strategic one) will be successful, this week's reports by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker do not tell us anything but the most obvious facts: adding more troops as a police force helps to stabilize a chaotic situation. This does not show any sign of changing the political realities or forcing anyone to do anything which will allow us to leave. Asking for more time is meaningless when absolutely nothing has been accomplished in the environment of reduced violence that has been bought through an enormous investment of Iraqi and American blood and funding. Unless the Bush Administration intends to keep our American soldiers as at least the semi-permanent police and national guard throughout Iraq for many years to come, continuing to "stabilize" Iraq in this fashion is not sustainable and will ultimately result in another huge spike in violence once we are forced to finally reduce our troop levels, due to the extreme strain of using so many national guard and reserve troops. It's time for a real change in strategy, but that is apparently waiting for the next administration because of the stubbornness of the Bush administration in not wanting to admit that they lost the war to begin with.