Until the time they leave American military commanders are the ones who will decide when it is safe to leave.

If you prefer an American military dictatorship - fine. It's been going great so far.

If US forces pullout too soon then it is the Iraqis who will pay the price in blood, not Americans. It is their lives who will be lost.

Yep. About a million so far. They're like the funny bunny - they just keep paying and paying...I wonder if they'd prefer alot more Americans paid some of that price too. But who cares - we sacrifice them for their own good and I know they'll thank us some day.

Its not a fake stability, its the same way a democratic central government holds rebellious minorities in the country.

Okay. I get it, everyone is a rebellious minority. They always will be. We'll be building them newer, higher walls 40 years from now. It'll be great. They'll love it. Who wouldn't.

The Iraqi government is still unable to provide waste collection services to its people

or electricity or shopping. Oh wait, we've had how many years to do that. Well, if we can't do it - it can't be done. They won't mind, what's a little garbage, save it up and the kids can throw it over the security walls. Kids gotta play.

Mike Mullen was only recently installed and he OPPOSES long term US deployments in Iraq. He was also approved by the Democrat controlled Congress.

Each president chooses their Joint Chiefs. Mullen will get to stay only if Obama likes him, if not he'll go. Look how many Bush has run thru. Wonder where we'd be if he'd listened to them instead of canning them. Maybe Obama will bring them back for a 2nd bite at the apple. Not that it matters. The CIC gives orders to directly to the UCC.

Wiki - After the 1986 reorganization of the military undertaken by the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not have operational command of U.S. military forces. Responsibility for conducting military operations goes from the President to the Secretary of Defense directly to the commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands and thus bypasses the Joint Chiefs of Staff completely.

Who do we put more credence behind? The guys on the ground or the man in the ivory tower?

Geez, common sense says the guy in the tower, who's thinking. But that's just so unAmerican...let's keep the ones who keep penning people up and calling it a military success. More fireworks later...we like sparkly things.

And the Iraqi military is not going to stage a coup, its impossible while US troops are in country

Well actually no it isn't - it's just very unlikely. A handful of generals kill Maliki et al Plant themselves in a palace...and wait. Ooooooooooo that would be a sight to see. Who do we pick to prop up then...more weak civilian politicians or go with the guys who just might cough up the oil and the bases, in exchange for not being obliterated. Deals could be made. If they hurry. Blue light specials.

So what is more important? Iraqi political sovereignty or human life?

When did you start caring about dead people? You care just as much about dead Iraqi's as Saddam did.

That is for the Iraqis to worry about. The US is merely responsible for stability and making sure a massacre does not follow their withdrawal.

There's an oxymoron in there. A bifurcation.

A plan....take it and run as fast as you can with it. Pay no attention to the ticking you hear. Victory will be yours.