>There's less consistency between opposing the invasion and favoring troop increases than there is between opposing the invasion and favoring pulling out now.<

I think it depends on one's objectives. If you are a power figure who wants to protect American lives, then you would choose that "consistent" option then and now. But if you believe in promoting regional stability, or advancing democracy (don't laugh - those could be legitimate objectives in a better world), then you could go in differing directions (then versus now) on the more force/less force/no force decisionmaking.

If the overarching goal (even for Silvestre Reyes) is securing US or Western geopolitcal advantage, we lesser beings can only place bets on what the big boys might do, right or wrong. We don't have the information.