You need to have a plan–an endpoint–to any strategy. We never had one. Even now, the president is talking about a “horizon” or something. I’m not sure exactly what that is.

Maliki is the leader of that country. Our military has done everything it has been asked to do, and there’s more security there now than ever. It’s time for the political leaders of Iraq to start leading their nation.

I think it’s fine to have an endpoint of 16 months or 18 months, and you work toward that endpoint, knowing that a situation could develop that would prevent you from meeting the endpoint.

I see nothing wrong with talking about having a goal line. That’s all, I think, that Mr. Maliki’s been talking about, and certainly I think it’s what Mr. Obama’s been talking about.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm and is filed under Politics, Foreign Policy .