Thursday, May 31, 2007

Re: Can the Iraq 'Surge' Be Salvaged?

Can the Iraq 'Surge' Be Salvaged?:
White House spokesman Tony Snow yesterday said Mr. Bush envisions an indefinite American military presence in Iraq that would resemble the one in South Korea, with the U.S. in a support role able to "react quickly to major challenges or crises." That presumes, though, that an Iraqi government would request or at least tolerate such a deployment, as the South Koreans have.
The question remains: when?
If that is the goal...are we truly transitioning towards it?
Is it the only goal? What others?
How would it resemble North Korea? How would it differ?

UPDATE:
Bush sees long-term role for troops:

The United States has 30,000 troops in South Korea.
And:
"It's important to defend this country on the extremists' 10-yard line and not our 10-yard line," Gates said this month.
I like that 'their 10-yard line' bit, but...lately I have been wondering how big we have to go to do that.
This is just tossing thoughts out but why didn't Bush say after 9/11: [for the world] "Let's hit Afghanistan" and [for the spooks and SpecOps] "This is really a GWOT, I'm cutting restraints - do your job"...eh?

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