I got a response out of my last post. Some may think it was a little bit tow-the-line media regurgitation because I was talking about the good ol' timetable crap. Well in some ways I guess those someone's are right. Part of my reason behind writing that post was because that IS the topic of discussion and because I do have opinions on it.

It's gotta be done right for fuck sakes; and my friend is also right in saying who am I to say when is right?

Well I guess I am not in the position to say "when" is right but I can sure tell "what" is "right" and "what" is "wrong".

Right would be an eventual end to the military occupation of a sovereign nation whose people have an absolute right to self-determination (elections without outside interference).

Wrong would be a withdrawal that leaves the civilians of said sovereign nation without the ability to achieve said self-determination (ie, under a dictatorship or in conditions that do not allow fair elections to be held).

Right would be leaving said civilians with access to the basic technologies and living conditions expected by any developed nation; electricity, water, sewerage, healthcare and education.

Wrong would be destroying a nations infrastructure and leaving them crippled after invading on the promise of a better future and then not deliver on that promise.

Right would be ensuring the country has a governmental system which can sustain itself; which can provide basic law, order and municipality services for its people and.

Wrong is not caring enough to find out what needs to be done to achieve those ends.

Right is approaching the local populations and asking what YOU can do for THEM to make THEIR lives better and in turn encouraging them to cooperate with both yourself and each other.

So if we are going to set a timetable it needs to include all those things which are RIGHT and none of those which are WRONG; but it also needs a SENSIBLE timeline to ensure all those involved that not only is there an end-goal, but there IS enough time to achieve it.

Mayhap I was too fast to say that the label of "occupation" must end by 2010; but then again maybe I'm not. In ideal circumstance it's probably not too much to ask. But nothings ever ideal and what;s going on in Iraq today is no exception to that rule.