Time for Leadership
It's great to land on that carrier with a "Mission Accomplished" banner and a cowboy-flightsuit strut to announce to the surprise of nobody (except those in the Arab world who trusted Al-Jazeera) that the mightiest force in the world had toppled a tyrant. Now you own it, cowboy. What will you do with it? That's what the world has wondered since the mother of all photo-ops (much praised here at Fed.Rev.).

It appears the terrorists (whether in concert with Saddam or not) understood the international political ramifications of the US occupation better than Bush/Rummy and gang did. They are tyrants - as Bush said - so why did he underestimate the willingness of terrorists/Saddam to employ a slow "scorched-earth" policy where they sacrifice their own people and Iraq's economy to inflict damage on us. That's not out of character for a tyrant, right? Terror is the ultimate Machiavellian tactic, seeing any means as justified in its aims. Understanding your enemy is at the heart of effective planning for war - which is far more than armies meeting on the battlefield, as cowboy Bush is being painfully instructed.

Now Bush has to simply endure the consequences of his choices - especially since he argued so hard for them - not to mention the questions in some others minds about the veracity of his information and intentions. He will have to try to be "steely" and "presidential" to appear to rise above. He myopically boxed himself in by not getting UN help with security/reconstruction soon after the downfall of the regime. Now to ask would hurt his tender ego politically. Now the private charity groups are scared of the lack of security so the hunger and resentment grows worse, breeding more terror sympathizers in Iraqi streets.

More troops at this point are just more targets if they are American. No change means more of the same. W. made his bed - he can lie in it.