A slight segue here-

I read a recent column by E.J. Dionne that interests me. He discusses how Bush could go about extricating himself from Iraq (It is Dionne's contention that the Bush Administration is not staying there out of any well laid plan but because they literally cannot see how they can get out without losing face and credibility (ha!).

Dionne suggests that a way that the other nations would admire and go along with is to have the US declare that since the Iraqi army is doing so well, the US and its allies are going to decamp to Iraq's borders with the purpose of sealing them against infiltrators primarily from Syria and Iran and thus make the Iraqi government job easier.

This would remove the US from the daily conflict and let the Iraqis feel in control of their own lives and government direction.

Actually, it sounds pretty good to me.