Actually, I disagree. The way it is now makes it easier for them to recruit. (1) They have a great motivator -- "look what the evil Americans are doing to our fellow Muslims, and in infidels control the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala nonetheless." (2) We have our military and logistics so tied down to Iraq, that we cannot spend half the time and energy that we should in other areas -- a truly global war on terror should include us seeking out terror whereever it is. Right now we are just trying to figure out how to staff the next troop rotation. (3) the terrorists have replaced the aging "Soviet Afghanistan" trained terrorists with a new generation of "American Iraq" trained terrorists -- al Queda-type networks and interested individuals are coming from all over to Iraq now and spending 6 months to 2 years fighting us there. Sure, we may knock out a good number, maybe even more than half of those that come, but some are sure to slip out again and now we have the next batch of leaders, safely home again in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Pakistan, wherever.

I agree that the US needs to take the role in weeding out terrorists, but we need to be smarter about it than we have so far been.

Sorry, on the whole, this war in Iraq was not necessary, and it is making us weaker and the terrorists stronger. That is not just my opinion, read what various intellegence and political heavyweights have to say (such as the time a year ago that the British embassador called George Bush "the greatest recruiting sergeant Al Queda could ever have."

Not good strategy, not good execution. I hope, however, that you are right about the next 3 years Digger. And I am not saying we are out by then, because we will not be, I am saying that I expect that by September, 2006, there will be an announcement that we are reducing troop strength by half -- now if that is suddenly reversed on November 15, 2006 (the day after the election), I might not be surprised, but I do expect that come 2008 we will be down to less than 50,000 in Iraq regardless of how well things are going there or not going there. Again, I hope that I am wrong, but I think you have much more faith in this guy than I.