Something for everyone

After the grilling that Gen Petreaus and Amb Crocker withstood by Congress, they both probably wished they were back in Iraq. What they had to report was fair in my view, and gave something for everyone…troop reduction by mid-2008, and a strong recommendation to not depart too soon. But still, I have to admit that a troop reduction of 30,000 is not really a recommendation, but a necessity, given that there would be no troops available to replace those 30,000 that are part of the surge, if they returned home as normal by next summer. That, coupled with the general lack of progress by the Iraqi government as reported by Amb Crocker, will give ammunition to those in Congress who want a much larger troop reduction sooner than later. Like most Americans, I have absolutely no idea what the situation will be in Iraq by the end of this year, and any light at the end of the tunnel thereafter is obscured by many more unknowns. Depressing situation for us here at home, and something that's no doubt causing a lot of stress and concern by the families of those now serving.