re: #20 marjoriemoon

I’m surprised more from the Right aren’t praising the surge as they did with Bush or maybe they’re whispering praise behind closed doors lest anyone mistake it for Obama love. Shudder the thought…

No one knows the ultimate outcome of these wars. It would be enough to crush Al-Queda and the Taliban, but as Yon points out, they are mostly in Pakistan. In fact, the President said the same. My question is what will happen after the surge, even if it is successful and I imagine it will be. How do you keep the country from corruption? Harder questions.

The same formula that was used in Germany and Japan post WW2, and is still to this day happening in Iraq. You keep visible and viable presence there, helping the new or existing government and self security form.
You do NOT announce that you’re leaving on day “X”, (or as John Kerry used to bellow, a date certain) Sorry, wars aren’t football games. They don’t work with a time clock. The “other” side usually isn’t on the same schedule as you are!