From Mudge on Free For All Fatboy Friday:
"Violence upswing in Baghdad as 30 Jun withdrawal of US security forces approaches. At least some US Commanders on ground saying they would stay if left to them...leaving during upswing in violence makes no sense and opens the door to lose all they accomplished over the last several years. Counter argument is you'll never get to the point where you can leave without an upturn in violence as opportunists attempt to position for early advantage as the last forces depart. My feeling is as long as we make it clear that we are not in this for the long haul any longer, the latter argument has merit. Only if you let the opportunists know that we will outlast them and that their best course of action is to help create, rather than destroy, the society in which they live, will we ever get to the point that a withdrawal could occur similar to our eventual withdrawal from Japan in WWII for example (not that this is a very good parallel geo-politically). I'm an at sea guy though, so curious how our ground-based veterans see this. Or anyone else who has a, preferably, informed opinion."
Tough question, though I see either view as warranting a strong internal security force--which is what we ought to be focusing like a laser on now.
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