Setting a Deadline

I'm not sure I understand the objection to setting a target for withdrawing from Iraq to strategic outposts. We are not going to be there forever, and planning is required for this difficult redployment. Asking for a contingency plan for whenever that occurs certainly seems reasonable.

The objection from some is that setting a deadline will just cause the bad guys to just sit back and wait until we leave. Why is that a bad thing? Haven't we all said that the surge is supposed to bring stability and some calm to allow the government to consolidate its position? If so, then the waiting that accompanies our setting of a deadline is just what the doctor ordered. The bad guys sit back and wait, the US Army moves to nearby positions, and the Iraqi government can take advantage of the relative calm that ensues.

The political solution Iraq needs must be the priority, not a military solution. Maybe we need to give the deadline a try. At the end of the day, how can we allow those who have made consistent missteps in Iraq make the call anymore?