I wouldn't say I endorse that as my first choice (dividing Iraq into 3 states, Kurd, Shi'a and Sunni). But it's a viable backup plan, as opposed to those who just complain about Bush's current plan and offer no alternative strategy.

I also found General Odom's 9 points an interesting alternative strategy, where he argued that all the reasons we argued to stay in Iraq are actually reasons to leave.

 Originally Posted By: whomod

Lately though and I think on account of that fiasco with the miner widow at the AFL/CIO debates, his aspirations have been so completely evaporated that he's actually starting to become something of a straight shooter which I really appreciate.


It's the McCain syndrome. Where McCain was a straight shooter who said what he really beleived, until he tried to widen his political base by taking positions that were inconsistent with who he really is.
And that having failed, has gone back to being himself.



 Originally Posted By: Biden Plan
...it would begin the phased redeployment of U.S. forces this year and withdraw most of them by the end of 2007, while maintaining a small follow-on force to keep the neighbors honest and to strike any concentration of terrorists.

 Originally Posted By: whomod

Now while the timeline has obviously moved forward since this was printed, I think the goal should be the same. A phased redeployment. It's just unfortunate that most of the rhetoric regarding this seems to be along the lines of "surrender" and "victory" or "defeat", "Win" or "lose". It makes for great sound bites and talking points but I don't think anyone, right or left, Republican Party or Democratic Party expects "winning" anymore in the sense that Iraq becomes some western democracy that tilts the region likewise. Not realistically and honestly anyways. It's just still a staple of the rhetoric but not supported by any intelligence assessments.


I think with both the Left and the Right, neither consistently says publicly what they envision for Iraq. Privately, I think many Democrats see the reality that we just can't pack up and leave Iraq. But they have to posture tough for their base.
And the Republicans (particularly Sen Lugar and Sen Hagel) see that we can't stay indefinitely in Iraq at or even near our current troop levels. But other Republicans in congress likewise can't look to their base like they're faltering and taking an apparent weaker position than "till the job is done".

I think both realize that the correct path is phased withdrawal, with a continued lower U.S. presence in a supportive and training capacity for the Iraqi government.

And that if all the partisan one-upmanship could be set aside, more moderate heads in congress could propose legislation that 80% of both Republicans and Democrats could agree on.