Judd Legum: I think we should have a timeline for withdrawal...
Judd Legum: this is the only way to succeed in Iraq...
Judd Legum: Our presence there is fueling the violence, to some extent, and more than our presence is the perception that we are never going to leave...
Judd Legum: if you look at the successes that have occurred in Iraq -- election, constitution -- these have occurred on a timetable...
Judd Legum: but even more than the Iraqis we need to do it for our own security ... we aren't able to focus on the threat from terrorism, which is a global problem.
Nick Gillespie: the first thing we need is a series of statements that define the mission in the first place.
Nick Gillespie: are we there to create a democratic region? to have deposed tyranny in the form of Saddam? what?
Nick Gillespie: it's tempting to see the evident failure of the occupation as distinct from the military success of vanquishing Saddam. but in fact...
Nick Gillespie: the U.S. never really had a clear set of objectives in mind, which set up the occupation to fail.
Edward Morrissey: Nick, I'd say both. We accomplished one very quickly and the other is taking more time than the U.S. thought.
asap: Judd, focusing in on what you said ... is the U.S. presence more helpful or harmful to the situation in Iraq right now?
Edward Morrissey: The elected Iraqi government doesn't want us to leave soon, so they apparently believe it to be helpful.
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