Did anybody watch that speech about the plans for Iraq that Bush outlined on Tuesday? I guess our plan of action to stem the tide of insurgent attacks and have democracy flourish in the region is to "defeat terror", "spread freedom", and "sacrifice". Wow, I'm sure all those buzz words that we've been hearing for the last 4 years will be just the solution to this clusterfuck we willingly walked into. I've never mentioned any politics in any of my updates because I tend to be fairly moderate in my views, and Zack Parsons does a good job of it anyway, but I just lost it after the speech on Tuesday. Anybody that knows their history or even has a shred of common sense knew that invading Iraq was a really bad idea unless you had a solid plan for the post-war.

This is looking more and more like a Vietnam situation, where hostilities are increasing and instead of pulling out we are digging deeper, sending more men and material over. The more we commit over there, the less of a chance we have of getting out. I just find it really tragic that thousands of young men who think they are fighting for a good reason will lose their lives over the next few years, just because this country is being led by a group of greedy, ignorant, and self serving men. The people who voted for Bush are finally wavering, but its far too late. We're fucked.

The new Iraqi security forces are proving their courage every day. More than 2,000 members of the Iraqi security forces have given their lives in the line of duty. Thousands more have stepped forward and are now in training to serve their nation. With each engagement, Iraqi soldiers grow more battle-hardened and their officers grow more experienced. We have learned that Iraqis are courageous and that they need additional skills. That is why a major part of our mission is to train them so they can do the fighting and our troops can come home.

I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly as possible. So do I. Some contend that we should set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces. Let me explain why that would be a serious mistake. Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done. It would send the wrong message to our troops, who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long as we are needed and not a day longer.

Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don't you send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are in fact working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave. As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters: the sober judgment of our military leaders.