Well, it didn't take long.
Just to be sure the joy didn't get out of hand, and since they've lost another wrongly-predicted disaster to complain about, some from the left have already moved on to their next battleground - what they all call the Absence of an Exit Strategy.
Never mind that there is a public timetable, adhered to to the day so far, for all the steps in the transition to a fully independent Iraqi State: Election of a Constitutional Congress, a deadline for development of a written Constitution, a fixed date for submitting that Constitution to a vote of the Iraqi people, a fixed date for election of a permanent representative Assembly. But Bush has no Exit Strategy.
The training and "standing up" of Iraqi security forces, a very difficult proposition, logistically and psychologically, is moving forward and finally gaining serious momentum. It's been slower than hoped, but we are talking about human beings here, not Iraqi robots, most of whom have been subjected to a kind of oppressive rule none of us can imagine and who might have a difficult time reasserting themselves in their own society. No one could know, going in, all that would be needed to reconstitute the Iraqi security apparatus, in terms of time & resources, but the commitment to get the job done has always been there. But Bush has no Exit Strategy.
Finally, some people seem to forget the only strategy that matters - Victory. Bush has said all along what our plan would be - to leave when the Iraqis no longer need our military support and to work to make that happen in the shortest time possible. But he has no Exit Strategy.
Of course, when pressed, the folks from the left I've heard pontificating today say, "OK, we'll concede that all that constitutes an Exit Strategy, but it's not happening quickly enough." Or, "It needs a more intensified international diplomatic effort." As if Zarqawi, et al, give a rip about diplomacy.
Cheers,
Daiwa