OK. I'm sold on the idea that we should immediately withdraw from Iraq.

Before the events of this week, I felt that maybe we should stay there for a while to try to stabilize that which we had destabilized.

Call it the "We broke it; we fix it" principle.

Some might argue that the tribal, sectarian, and and ethnic conflicts that are fuelling the civil war in Iraq existed long before Bush ordered the United States' invasion of Iraq; in fact, those conflicts existed even before there *was* a United States to conduct such an invasion.

That argument is valid, but, simply put, even if the kindling for the inferno in Iraq already existed, we are the ones who put a match to it.

And the Bush administration's efforts to stabilize the situation in Iraq after they destabilized it? They're like someone flicking a cigarette out of a speeding car, starting a fast-moving brushfire, and trying to put out the fire by smothering it in gasoline.

Events this week just highlight this.

First, on Tuesday, twin truck bombs in commercial areas of the city of Tal Afar killed 80 or more Shiites.

In response, on Wednesday, Shiite police officers and militia members in Tal Afar executed more than 70 Sunni men and kidnapped dozens more.

"Police officers"?!?!? In most societies, the police (or their equivalent) are supposed to be a force for stability.

Not mass murderers.

At this point, withdrawing American troops may not improve the situation in Iraq; however, their presence there definitely isn't helping either. The only thing that our troops can do right now is provide to provide motivation, and targets of opportunity, for the various factions.

I would love to advocate for keeping a presence in Iraq to help with an organized rebuilding of the country (kind of a modern Marshall Plan), but the Bushies have exhibited neither the desire or the ability to make such a plan work.

Bring 'em home. 'Nuff said.

Good night!