Timetables

The disagreement over timetables reflects a failure of imagination. This is too often true in public disputes over policy. The Democrats are urging the President to simply pull troops out according to a strict timetable, with the moderates simplifying lengthening the time. The President digs in his heels and says "No."

This serves nobody. There are real benefits that a timetable for withdrawal can give us, by making it clearer to the players in Iraq and the region that the United States will withdraw. I doubt that anyone truly believes that the United States will not withdraw, given the falling support for the war in Iraq. SO the President is gaining little by being stubborn.

But why not set a timetable linked to milestones? These could be accomplishments of the Iraqi government--number of troops trained; number of units reaching certain levels of accomplishment. Some of the discussion by officials in the administration has suggested linking the withdrawal of troops to such measures, anyway. Other milestones could be economic accomplishments--these could be linked to other measures. They could also be successful actions of the insurgents: for example, if incidents across the country or in certain provinces fall below a given number, then troops can go home. An advantage of a milestone like that is that it puts part of the onus for the continuing presence of American troops on the insurgents. That could be a weapon to use against reconcilable elements among them.

Senator Kerry has proposed something like this, linking withdrawal to "benchmarks" like this month's elections. But he still has the goal of withdrawing "the bulk of American combat forces by the end of next year." That makes the deadline too certain and, as the Administration will point out, gives the insurgents notice that they simply have to wait for the Americans to leave.

A more imaginative, subtle approach might help the administration out the trap into which it is falling by trying to hold firm to a policy that is becoming unsustainable owing to changes in American public opinion.