A Tipping Point for Iraq—Here at Home

[Swede]

Iraq, said the speaker, is "a setback. You can't sugar-coat that. We've reached a point where we've got to get real. This is not going to be a near-term success for American foreign policy. The Iraq situation's not winnable in any meaningful sense of the word 'winnable.' So what the United States needs to do now is look for a way to limit the losses and costs."

This wasn't just any old armchair observer talking on Thursday. It was Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former member of the President's foreign policy team. Haass worked for Ronald Reagan, for Bush's father and, as the policy planning boss at State under Colin Powell during Bush's first term. By virtue of his post at CFR, he is as close as you can come these days to the voice of the U.S. foreign policy establishment.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1548729,00.html

[acmavm]

1. Well duh Richard. Welcome to the real world.

[bemildred]

2. These old-style reality-based thinkers are not in power.

These sorts of stories have been coming out for years now.
Nothing will be done.

[The Count]

3. Woopty doo! Glad the learned men noticed...So, not swimingly then?

O key dokey

[Nite Owl]

4. It's not going to be a near-term success

and it will be even worse longer term. We created a terrorist state where there was none, we weakened our military so we don't have the defense ready for something that is needed in the future. This is so much worse than VN, even leaving will create it's own problems there but being there is making worse.