Twelve former Army captains weigh in on our actual options in Iraq:
There is one way we might be able to succeed in Iraq. To continue an operation of this intensity and duration, we would have to abandon our volunteer military for compulsory service. Short of that, our best option is to leave Iraq immediately. A scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war, and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition.
The slow back-out works for politicians who want to save face, but it doesn't make tactical sense in Iraq, they argue, and would require more troops then we're able to commit. Compulsory service would be even more damning for politicians, so by their count, the only option is immediate withdrawal. What'll Rush say about them?
--Kate Sheppard
