See? I don't have to make this stuff up...

General Warns of Risks in Iraq if G.I.s Are Cut

"General Abizaid also publicly said for the first time that the American position in Iraq had been undermined by the Bush administration’s decision not to deploy a larger force to stabilize the country in 2003. That decision was made after Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, the Army chief of staff at the time, told Congress that several hundred thousand troops would be needed. His testimony was derided by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and the general was ostracized at the Pentagon before his retirement a few months later.

“General Shinseki was right that a greater international force contribution, U.S. force contribution and Iraqi force contribution should have been available immediately after major combat operations,” General Abizaid said. "

Mind you I think we should get out of Iraq *right now*, and of course I never thought we should have gone into Iraq at all in the first place, but damn it, if you're gonna do it, do it right!

What I'm highlighting is Rumsfeld's arrogance and incompetence.

The thing is they don't want us there and we're not helping enough to, IMO, warrant the deaths from either side.The article goes on to say:

"In all of Iraq, attacks against allied troops last month averaged 180 per day, up from 170 per day in September and 70 per day in January, General Maples said in written testimony. Daily attacks on Iraqi civilians averaged roughly 40 per day last month, four times higher than the average in January. General Maples also noted that recent operations in Baghdad had achieved only a moderate success, because after American officials had turned neighborhoods over to the Iraqis, “attacks returned to and even surpassed preoperational levels.”

Reinforcing this view, General Hayden said the C.I.A. station in Baghdad assessed that Iraq was deteriorating to a chaotic state, with the political
center disintegrating and rival factions increasingly warring with each other."...

..."Many experts have advocated talking directly to Iran and Syria to help stabilize Iraq, an approach the Iraq Study Group is expected to endorse. "

You know what? I'm fine with that. I'm all for talking. Am I thrilled that it would be with Iran and Syria, maybe not, but I definitely prefer it to this damned war.

New York Times 11/16/2006

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