The point of all the spin, factoid, messages coming from the Pentagon and the Bushies is this: "We're not withdrawing from Iraq. Even if a Democratic president is elected November after next, the U.S. is not ending it's occupation of Iraq. The occupation of Iraq is a punishment on that country for even being perceived by a delusional, misinformed public as having a part in 9/11. It's the Kissinger Mad Bomber scenario on steroids. It will be interesting to see what happens if the Congress is actually able to pass a withdrawal policy over a Bush veto, or what a Democratic President in 2009 will be able to actually do about withdrawing. The military has been divorcing itself from the will of the people for some time. The all volunteer army was just a first step. Now we have private armies "hired" by local governments, corporations and individuals. "Off the shelf, stand-alone" operational capabilities envisioned by the Reaganites have become realities. The question for the future will be; what defenses do civilian populations have against private armies that do what they wish in defiance of all national governmental policies? We'd better keep a tight hold on our nukes. We may need them to defend ourselves against our own Frankenstein monsters. If ever the private armies get their hands on the nuclear weapons, they will use them for advertising purposes.