The Plan for Iraq

NPR’s All Things Considered had a story about a Minnesota National Guard unit that has been told that their stay in Iraq will be extended, like many other of our deployed forces in the world. One of the soldiers in the unit was given the opportunity to pose a question to President Bush during his interview with NPR’s Juan Williams. The soldier asked whether the President had a plan for Iraq if the troop surge didn’t have the intended effect, to which Bush responded,

Well, I would say to Ryan, I put it in place on the advice of a lot of smart people, particularly the military people who think it will work, and let us go into this aspect of the Iraqi strategy feeling it will work. But I will also assure Ryan that we’re constantly adjusting to conditions on the ground.

Wow. That plays right along with Bush’s idea that everything he does will be successful and that there is no need for backup plans. Thanks for answering that question, next time you can just say “no.” Thankfully, the soldier understood the true meaning of Bush’s response and had this to say upon hearing it:

No, it did not answer my question. I would have liked to know more so that there will be a plan if this does not work. For some of us that are over here, particularly me, my unit, we all feel, what’s the point of us being extended if your initial plan to send more troops over here does not work? What are you going to do, Mr. President?

Will Bush get the troop surge? There really is a good chance (I’d say it’s a forgone conclusion) that the troop surge won’t fix anything. What will happen then?