General David Petraeus, the man commanding the Iraq War, called Tuesday for an open-ended suspension of the United States withdrawals this summer, arguing that an immediate withdrawal would destroy security “gains,” according to the Associated Press.
Gen. Petraeus told a Senate committee that he recommends a “45-day period of consolidation and evaluation.” This will happen once the extra combat forces that President Bush ordered to Iraq last year have completed their pullout in July. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Petraeus described the security situation in Iraq as improved since he last appeared before Congress this past September. President Bush is expected to accept Petraeus’ recommendation.
It bothers me slightly that Gen. Petraeus understands that we are in a predicament and will “pause” our mission in Iraq, but will not pull our troops out. I will honestly admit, it is an idealistic thought to want ALL of the troops withdrawn. In a perfect world, I would want this to happen as well. However, since we do not live in a perfect world, the best method is to withdraw troops in increments. Instead of taking this pause, I wish we could somehow admit that we went into this war for essentially no reason. Oh yes, I forgot, it was to fight the evil terrorists. Either way, I hope this means the United States are a step closer to realizing that we lost 4,000 troops for nothing.
Are you like me? Are you still kicking yourself for missing out on Grand Old Party Friday night? If I had known I could have paid $70 to enjoy “a top-shelf bar” with “young Republicans between the ages of 21 and 35,” I would have been all up in that rocking my finest seersucker. To make up for missing out on GOPalooza’s night “to celebrate what’s right,” I snubbed Al Gore’s Live Earth concert Saturday to hit up a cookout in a house with four former White House interns. When I walked in the front door and saw two Young America’s Foundation posters – one with a glory shot of the president, the other with the phrase “I Love Capitalism” – I knew I had arrived.
Now, I don't agree with Congressman Charlie Rangel that we should reinstitute the draft, but this pretty funny coincidence seems to say that there just might be something to the idea that leaders take war more seriously when it's their kids who are at risk.
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