In one of the day's most contentious clashes, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., challenged Abizaid on his analysis of the situation and complained that he was advocating no major changes in U.S. policy. McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, has called for adding thousands more U.S. combat troops in Iraq to help fight the insurgency and halt sectarian violence in Baghdad.
"I'm of course disappointed that basically you're advocating the status quo here today, which I think the American people in the last election said that is not an acceptable condition," McCain said.
In response, Abizaid said he was not arguing for the status quo. He said the key change that is needed now is to place more U.S. troops inside the Iraqi army and police units to train and advise these forces in planning and executing missions.
Our general, who wants to win, told Congress that we need to stay the course in Iraq and continue to fight while we stand up Iraqi forces to take over the fight against the jihadis, Baathists, and Iranian stooges. Then we can pull back. But Senator McCain wanted to hear the general call for taking over the war and adding tens of thousands of troops. Senator Clinton wanted to hear that we are losing and so why bother going down this path any longer.
We only need to make the Iraqi security forces better than the terrorists and insurgents--not equal to our forces. If advisors spread throughout the Iraqi military and police are needed, let's do it. (The Russians did this in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War, by the way, to help Iraqi units hold off the Iranians.)
I do want to disagree with General Abizaid on one thing. While it would be good to tamp down violence in Baghdad in the next 4 to 6 months, I reject the idea that we have this time to win and no more. The war goes on until one side or the other wins. There is no time limit. We fight until we win. There is no objective reason why Americans and/or Iraqis can't be fighting this battle inside Baghdad in six years time. I'd rather win in 6 months but there is no reason to call it a defeat if that victory timeline isn't met. I'm not sure at all why Abizaid said that.
I know our senators don't like to hear that the inflated opinions of members of the world's greatest debilitated body aren't needed to save the situation in Iraq, but there it is.
Our war effort would be well served by passing out Ritilan to our senators. They really need to focus.
