A Strategy For Withdrawal
If David Brooks is right about Iraq — that security and order are being established in the periphery (moreso than anywhere else) while the center (Baghdad) remains politically balkanized and unreconciled — then we might be able to find a good narrative for withdrawal. If after Petraeus’ report, or in the midst of the necessary post surge troop drawdown, the Democrats in congress, along with Warner and some other war skeptic Republicans, can make this case to leave.
“The Iraqis have taken up the fight against Al Qaida, they are establishing security on their own terms, only they can politically reconcile. We’ve won, we’ve defeated Al Qaida in Iraq. Let’s start withdrawing with the goal of no American troops in Iraq by January 2010.” So, thinking perhaps a bit too much counter intuitively, maybe the Democrats should trumpet and hype the Petraeus report and say the surge worked great! So great, that we can start leaving. There’s going to be a troop draw down anyway, why not try to go all the way and turn into a full withdrawal?
