It's hard to know what to make of this, but if senior generals start briefing against their own commander-in-chief's electoral mandate to withdraw from Iraq in 16 months, they should be reminded of the Constitution. But what's interesting here is the assumption: the generals seem to be assuming that Iraq will only be kept from disintegrating if US troops occupy the place indefinitely. Is that now the neocon position? I thought the real position was: we've won, so we have to stay for ever. My own position is: we have a window to leave; why on earth would we not leap at the chance?

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