That Gideon Rose is pretty smart. I liked this one.
For the US to pull out of Iraq before the job is done, and done right, would be a disaster, for all the reasons I just enunciated. I think the administration recognizes this, which is precisely what makes its failure to devote more resources and competence to the situation so puzzling. To head off discontent, the administration should be doing several things simultaneously. First, pouring more resources in so as to improve circumstances on the ground quickly and show everybody that things are getting better. (NYTimes readers should be familiar with the concept of "flooding the zone"; that's what we should be doing in Iraq right now.) Second, the administration should be bringing in help and partners from the world at large, giving others a stake in the mission's success. Third, it should be getting non-exile Iraqis more involved in local governance. And fourth, it should be preparing the American people for the kind of serious, long-term, high-cost involvement that will be necessary, so support doesn't slip when things don't improve dramatically overnight. forums.nytimes.com@215.56WmbPGWz53.4448565@.f4a5ed9/9
Unfortunately, I fear that Mr. Rose may somewhat overestimate the additional resources available, given the current burn rate of $1billion / week in a $500 billion / year deficit environment. And the ever diplomatic DoD civilian hotheads running things don't quite seem the types to line up outside aid either, unless it's bought and paid for by the same source. Oh well. What a mess. |
