CUT AND RUN

It didn't take long for the Democrats to reveal their solution to the Iraq problem....cut and run. The top Democrats in the Senate, soon to chair its most important committees, are presenting a plan that would call for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq in a 4-6 month period, starting sometime in 2007. I cannot blame them for their plan, however, as they are simply obeying the will of the voters who put their party back in power. Based on the election results, and the polls, it is clear that a majority of Americans want our troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. According to the exit polls, only 18% want to send more troops, as I do and as Senator McCain would do. If our political leaders are expected to listen to the will of the people, then they will withdraw our troops from Iraq.

Meanwhile, as James Baker and Lee Hamilton, co-chairmen of the Iraq Study Group, meet with the President this morning as part of their efforts to come up with recommendations about Iraq, it appears that momentum is building toward negotiating our terms of surrender with Iran and Syria. Some folks are skeptical that the Iranians will accept our surrender, since they figure we're going to retreat anyway (see above).

If I were advising the Iranian Mullahs (and their wack job President), I would tell them to be patient. Keep talking about talking, and keep stringing the Europeans, the U.N. and American "realists" along. All the while, continue to move forward on your nuclear program. Eventually, the Americans will retreat from Iraq, and you will be able to take control of a significant chunk of the country, as well as credibly assert your leadership of the world-wide Islamist movement. The only wild card now is, of course, the Israelis. But, even that might be manageable. If the Israelis attack your nuclear facilities, they will certainly set your program back, but they will also become even more diplomatically isolated. Your will gain even more support among other Muslims, and you will have a freer hand to use your proxies to attack Israel. Even the Americans may distance themselves from the Israelis as a result of the backlash of world opinion against them. Patience is the key. The Americans, while powerful, lack patience. The Europeans, while patient, grow weaker every year. The Israelis, who can be patient and powerful, are still an alien people on an island in a sea of Muslims.

Oh, yes, if I were advising the Iranians, I would tell them that patience is the key to their eventual victory (unless some Sunni wack job lights off a nuke in the States, which would bring about the most terrible consequences for all Muslims, everywhere).