Dianavan asks how we're doing, let's see by the end of January 2007 more than 50 % of the 18 regions that make up Iraq will be under sole control of the Iraqi Authorities including all police and security matters, which in comparison to Greece at the end of the Second World War means that Iraq is slightly ahead of schedule, by about a year. Probably by March next year Iraq's second largest city will be handed over to full Iraq Authority control. My best guess is that in the South the British will have withdrawn apart from training and support duties by summer 2007.
Teribus

T, have you noticed a curious discrepancy between what is forecast and what the situation is right now? It is easy to say that a month or two from now the Iraqis will be able to do thus and so. But the whipped up expectations wane somewhat when it is admitted that the count of those trained and ready to go is going DOWN, not up.

"The last bit of effective US military planning was WWII D-Day, and don't forget that the English refused to let 'the bloody Yanks' have total charge of that, you know... In the Pacific, the tactic was mostly just an inevitable "roll up the carpet with concentrating superior force on a weak spot".
Foolestroupe

FT, keep in mind that the "English" installed a US general as overall commander. Not as dismissive as you make it sound.

I've been listening assiduously the last few days to speeches and hearings and interviews with major players, both singly and in tandem. The attitude that comes across is absolutely amazing. Anyone who does not see that the US and 'coalition' believe that their 'cause' is lost is not paying attention.