The American Spectator

A Clear Plan? Where? : /p>

It is understandable when a partisan weasel like Howard Dean demands instant success or complete surrender — shortening the time frame enhances frustration and the perception of defeat. It is less understandable when an often sane writer like your Mr. Hillyer loses patience. Demanding that Bush do something dramatic right away is wrong-headed and has the same effect as calls for a “timetable” or other device: it signals our enemies that we are not in it for the long haul.

p>The Marines say “Accept the Suck,” meaning that often sheer endurance is the only right response and the key to success. That attitude worked for Lincoln and FDR. We will only achieve quick victory when the enemy is convinced that we are not going anywhere anytime soon. We need to keep adjusting, keep working, keep thinking but mostly we need to persevere. Cynical demands for instant gratification and illusory promises put us on the road to Chappaquiddick instead of the road to peace and safety. Suck it up, Hillyer. br> — George Tobin br> North Potomac, Maryland /p> p> Send the Hillyer article of 9/13/06 to the White House. br> — Mike Schewe /p>

The plan in Iraq — now that Saddam’s hellish regime is no more, now that a democratically elected government is in place — is to stand with them until they can sustain, govern and defend themselves. As the Iraqis stand up, coalition forces will stand down. There is nothing very complicated about the plan, though the minutiae of ultimately achieving it are a constantly evolving thing. And so we evolve. The exact moment when the plan will be fully executed cannot be predicted, and I sense that is where much of Mr. Hillyer’s frustration lies.

The good news is the Iraqis’ willingness to step up in large numbers to join security forces and participate in government. They seem quite determined to realize democratic reform despite the setbacks. All the while, the Iraqis’ capabilities are increasing.