IRAQ REPORT….Suzanne Nossel spent last week in Princeton at a conference on “National Security in the 21st Century.” Her report: compared to last year, attendees were more bullish on China, India, and avian flu, and more bearish on Europe, the UN, and U.S. global dominance.
The conference included both liberal and conservative attendees but trended liberal. Here’s what Suzanne says about Iraq:
Though opinions were divided, the majority of those I spoke to favored the US withdrawing the bulk of its troops in 2006. It was not that they disagreed on the potentially devastating consequences of Iraq becoming a failed state, nor that they had any confidence that the country would hold together. They were just convinced that the continued American presence was doing more harm than good. (Personally, having seen nothing that makes me confidence that the glaring holes in the US’s strategy and approach in Iraq are being filled, I am slowly coming to the view that withdrawal may be the best among lousy options ? more on that another time).
In this, they seem to agree with the uniformed military on the ground. All that’s left now is for liberal leaders to get on board.
