I fear that in the run-up to [the elections], the administration is considering what is tantamount to a cut-and-run strategy. Their sudden embrace of accelerated Iraqification and American troop withdrawal dates, without adequate stability, is an invitation to failure. The hard work of rebuilding Iraq must not be dictated by the schedule of the next American election.
I have called for the administration to transfer sovereignty, and they must transfer it to the Iraqi people as quickly as circumstances permit. But it would be a disaster and a disgraceful betrayal of principle to speed up the process simply to lay the groundwork for a politically expedient withdrawal of American troops. That could risk the hijacking of Iraq by terrorist groups and former Ba'athists.
Contrast this with the recently defeated initiative by John Kerry, who calls for an unconditional & precipitous withdrawal (while claiming that it's not) and wants to turn the sovereignty of Iraq over to its terrorist supporting neighbors. Clearly Kerry's recent plan amounts to a betrayal of our troops as well as the Iraqi people, and would leave Iraq in the hands of the very terrorists we are trying to fight.
Good thing there are other politicians, like the anonymous speaker above, who have it right.