I don't like the mission our troops are going on.  Clear and secure is what we did before, but with little success due to a lack of troops.  Will this be enough?  I don't know.  Should we use the 21,500 to go after al-Sadr and his goons?  I'd like to see it, but I am not a military expert.  Should we have more trainers in the region to better prepare the police and military?  Yes.  I think it would help us move closer to our exit of the nation.  But, yet again, I am no expert.  By the way, cutting funds would only hurt our troops.

I do know we cannot leave Iraq in shambles, like it is right now.  I say they have a year to get it together, and if not, then we should go, at least to buy time and lick our wounds.  If we leave too early, Iraq will be overrun by al-Qaeda and possibly Iran.  They will have access to the oil and will sell it to build their arsenal and military.  They may even truly gain access to nukes.  When that happens, what's next?  We will have return to the region to stop these groups.

The war has been a debacle, partly because of us, but mainly because the Iraqis and the international community have done little to help.  Right now, we do have some in Iraq, whether Sunni, Shia, or Kurd, who do work with us and support what we have done.  We are fighting those that do not agree with what we did.  These current supporters will either turn against us, or be killed by those that take Iraq if we leave too soon.

I pray for our troops.  I pray for their success and safety.  I want to see them home soon.  But I want them to see the job through, first.  Iraq must be secured.  It must have a government by and for the people.  It must have a military and police force able to protect and serve the people.  Anything less is too dangerous for all of us.  Too borrow poetry from Johnnie Cochran, "We must secure Iraq, or we'll be back!"