[mburbank]

I agree with you, and that's the problem.

See, if our real goal is to knock out speciffic governments and organizations, we're doing... okay. Taliban gone, Al quaeda quite functional but nonbetheless running and one assumes saddam and the Bath Party gone soon.

Of course, that's not at all what we say our goal is. We have floated the term "Martial Plan" in the cases of Afghanistand and Iraq, which was a bad thing to do, as the Martial Plan is a historical example one would have to live up to.

I've already pointed out that until a few eagle eyed Republicans pointed out the first budget draft out of the whitehouse had NO MONEY AT ALL for Afghan reconstrutcion, Kev points out Karzai has to publicly beg. If "Martial Plans" are hugely problematic, and I'm the first to admit they are, perhaps the administration shouldn't be quite oi glib about them.

But imagine our foreign policy if we didn't gussy it up with Martial Plan Language. "Our intent is to create the kind of power vaccuum that gave birth to Al Quaeda in the first place, and when that happens, bomb tyhe crap out of it again."