"WE HAVE TO START EVACUATION NOW...................All they have to do is cut off funding."

and what will we have then?

Right now we have "a tiger by the tail", and NO ONE knows how to let go... G.W. Bush opened the tiger's cage door, then removed the door... and handed the tiger's tail to the troops and the Congress, with the whole Middle East worrying about what the tiger will do if we let go....

enough metaphor? Got a better one?