I really hate to agree with Andrew Sullivan, but sometimes he just gets it right, is all.
Finally, a description of what the administration itself believes has been the goal in Falluja:
“What we’re trying to do is extricate ourselves from Fallujah,” said a senior U.S. official familiar with U.S. strategy who would speak only on the condition of anonymity. “There’s overwhelming pressure with the Coalition Provisional Authority and the White House to deliver a successful Iraq transition, and Iraq is proving uncooperative.”
So the initial goal of removing the insurgents has been abandoned. Meanwhile, the president says: “My resolve is firm. This is an historic moment. The world watches for weakness in our resolve. They will see no weakness. We will answer every challenge.” So is the president telling the truth or is the anonymous “senior administration official”? Or has the administration official declined to inform the president?
The full Washington Post story is just as discouraging as Sullivan’s snippet implies. I’m all in favor of realistic goal-setting, but when your maximum aspiration is postponing disaster it’s time for a new plan.