Iraq Decision

The Democrats now seem to feel relatively free to speak their minds, now that the election is over. And from what I hear, they are of many diverse minds when it comes to the Iraq war.

The spectrum goes from the "Get out Now" group to the "Send More Troops" at the other end.

In a way, I think the President played it well, by inviting the new Dem leaders over for a visit, then telling them he'd listen to their ideas on Iraq. It seems to have worked pretty well, because they sure have a lot of ideas.

For what it's worth, here's what I'd do. If we could get other countries to help, that's great, but in general, we should have enough troops there to accomplish the mission in cooperation with Iraqi forces.

First, seal the borders. No weapons may cross. Anyone trying to cross somewhere other than an authorized checkpoint will be shot. Suspected foreign fighters from Syria and Iran will be arrested, interrogated, and released back to their home country when they are deemed not a threat.

Next, pacify the citizenry. City-by-city, house-by-house, Iraqis backed by US and other troops will search for weapons and IED's, which will be siezed and destroyed. Every city will then be occupied by troops, who will arrest anyone found with a weapon or bomb or generally disturbing the peace.

Muqtada al-Sadr will be arrested, tried and executed for being an anti-government militia leader. His army will be disbanded and disarmed. Likewise, Sunni insurgents will be disarmed and arrested.

Once the violence has been stopped, American and other forces will pull back and leave Iraqis in their place. Eventually, Iraq will be an independent, peaceful, and friendly country. America will have permanent bases there, just as they do in Germany and Korea.

The choice is really very simple. We either choose to do what it takes to finish the job or we quit. And the inevitable consequences of quitting, which would present Iraq to Al Quaeda and Iran on a silver platter, are unacceptable. So we finish the job, boldly and aggressively.