IMHO: There is not a project, procedure, nor natural phenomena; from the planting of a seed to the miracle of birth, to the building of a bridge, that does not adhere to some kind of time line or schedule. Open-ended policy is a non-starter. Every once in a while you have to accetpt the consequences of your actions. Putting on the back burner over and over is not he answer.

The criteria for proof of lasting success in Iraq is to allow the Iraqis to see the horizon line of their own destiny. Their sense of nationalism cannot be fullfilled with a surrogate strong man looking over their shoulder.

The fact that we do not like an Iraqi Shiite alignment with Iran, the fruit of this endeavor, is not sufficient reason to precude giving birh to this independent nation. You gotta cut the umbical cord sometime and let the cards fall where they may.