Not an answer: once again, where on Earth are you getting that idea? For I am quite certain I didn't give it to you. Why ask How would it look like that when what we're doing is working at securing the Iraqi population from terr depradations -- basic counterinsurgency?

So we are going to "win" at securing something nebulous in a sovereign nation... they have their own government now.

Which I figure to be part of the winning.

What do you think?

Part?
That is it.
They have their nation back, we are out.
We should never have been there to begin with.
It is ok to leave now. They have their government now.
That we don't like it means nothing, not our place.

Hey, the last elected government we didn't like wasn't the Iraqi, but the Palestinian. But I can't buy the idea that we never should have been there to begin with, and you know full well why I can't buy it -- I've gone over it exhaustively in numerous other threads and have for more than a year.

I have always expected there to be loud debate over just when we depart, as we always expected to eventually do -- when, and by how much, some wrangling over how far, what the acceptable circumstances might be, and so on. Plenty of it going on right here, with a cacophony like dropping an armful of saucepans and lids on the kitchen floor.

Not from me... they don't want us there... let them have it as it is.

So here we are, after midnight in both our houses, engaged in Slow Chat. Hee!

I dunno: you've got plenty of opinion about it, and you set it forth. And probably the only thing that's going to shut either of us up is if one or both of us nod into the keyboard and xz;y;soeartuy;hgaeiortyawseasgfgh.

Take care man.

Only when they get into positions of power or try to screw the world.

Ooo! Good riposte.