When it is apparent that the US entered the war undermanned — and the ensuing years’ increasing casualties support this — is it really “supporting our troops” who are there as it were as a brave lost battalion? If it is true that early withdrawal would result in chaos — as if it didn’t now prevail — then why a mere skeletal force to try to maintain minimal order? Is that fair to ask our troops to hold the line, so to speak, without fully reinforcing them? Personally, I think that whether troops remain or not there will still be an unstable Iraq for years to come. It is unrealistic to hope that at some magic moment, Bush will be able to stand-down our troops and declare as in May ‘03, “mission accomplished.”