It may not be possible to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq this year, according to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's testimony before a Senate committee. In addition, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the same committee it will be months before any Iraqi army units are ready to operate completely on their own.
There has been increasing evidence that the American military strategy of "Iraqification" has been failing, as the Iraqi military has been unable to cope with recent bouts of sectarian violence, and recently taken to fighting with one another. So when will they be able to "stand up", so American troops can "stand down"? Doomsday, or the day after doomsday.
Look closely, for Afghanistan is Iraq writ small. Our people will be there for a long, long time if we wait for the Afghan army to "stand up".
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