Quote »The Iraqi military push into the southern city of Basra is not going as well as American officials had hoped,

A closely held U.S. military intelligence analysis of the fighting in Basra shows that Iraqi security forces control less than a quarter of the city,

Basra's police units are deeply infiltrated by members of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army. [/quote]Let me guess, the Vietnamization of the war isn't quite on schedule. This just keeps looking more and more like history is repeating itself. What is the answer?

Not exactly sure what you mean....Comparing the police infiltration there with N. Viet forces infiltrating S. Viets army?

No. The US is looking for the same (albeit patiently reasonable) avenue out of Iraq as they tried unsuccessfully in Vietnam. My point is that there are 2 choices. All out war, or all out withdrawal. If Iraq can't self-police now, they will never be able to. We're destine to be there until we realize that the above 2 choices are the only two choices. Sad, but I'm afraid, true.

Gotcha, and I agree. Vietnam was "lost" from a political aspect and not on the battlefield. I am afraid that politics is playing a huge role with trying to pull troops out in order to make people happier. Britain is in a pickle as they are stationed right outside the fighting area and have been trying to pull their troops home. Now they are faced with a "support Iraq or run" scenario as fighting has errupted there.

Wonder how many "right" decisions have been passed over because it would piss people off?

GW wrote:"I fully understand those who say you can't win this thing militarily. That's exactly what the United States military says, that you can't win this military." --George W. Bush, on the need for political progress in Iraq, Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, 2007

He always finds the way to say the things that make us feel comfortable with our current situation.

You gotta read it based on what he "means" and not what he actually "says"

We can't win this war as a military-only initiative. We are not fighting an actual country in which their surrender means victory. Victory is the Iraq Gov't being able to function and protect their own people which does need military help in the current times and near future. Progress is slow but it's being made.

I, like I think everyone here, support the people in the field doing whatever they can to make a difference, here and abroad. To them I am grateful. My lack of support of this whole situation isn't directed towards them, but towards our leaders.

It is the leader that should rightfully be called to answer for the failures of their policies. Even a bad policy can be fixed, but I get the impression that there is no plan, no policy and no clue as to what is next. Just turn it over to the locals and run? That hasn't worked in the past. Build more bases and send more troops? Can we really afford that.

If our country did not have the need for imported oil, we'd have little or no interest what happened in their desert. Perhaps if we had used the money wasted on a war to develop viable alternative fuels, we'd be in a position to close the door and never look back.

Never said you and others did not support the troops or the people who make up our military. Never entered my mind.

IMO, we need a leader with the balls to "git'R dun" and unfortunately Bush has been wishy-washy on it. During this timeframe there has been a lot of "sit around and wait to see what happens" periods which have consistently given the insurgents room to work. It's a touchy situation that we simply can't abandon. If we do then we should never, ever, do anything in another country from a military perspective. We may as well close our borders (which are too wide open) and segment ourselves away from other countries.

I hear all the time "we are not the world police". Being the Super Power, doesn't that make us responsible to help those who need it? Of course, the question then becomes "who and when". It's tricky and I simply don't have an answer to it. If the UN wasn't so corrupt it would be much easier.

Yeah, I'm rambling....