One of Ours

This afternoon, Colin Powell, whose State Department is taking over the Iraq portfolio from the Pentagon-created CPA come July 1, echoed Paul Bremer's statements on whether we would leave Iraq. In a press conference, Powell addressed the issue of withdrawal, saying, "Just to make sure I'm not ducking the hypothetical ... and causing any confusion, were this interim government to say to us, 'we really think we can handle this on our own; it would be better if you were to leave,' we would leave."

...Powell was flanked by the foreign ministers of Britain, Italy, and Japan...and they agreed, too. Said Jack Straw: "Were [the Iraqis] to ask us to leave, we would leave." Added Japanese FM Yoriko Kawaguchi: "We would go back to Japan if requested." All of the principal foreign-policy ministers of the coalition are saying they can see themselves pulling their forces out of Iraq in short order.

The real question here is if Powell's trial balloon--or Bremer's--comes with Bush's approval, tacit or otherwise...Bush has repeatedly said we will stay the course in Iraq...but his favored formulation about the duration of our commitment is "as long as necessary, and not one day more."...

...Bush needs to say whether he agrees with Powell and Bremer...The consequences of pulling out of Iraq will be catastrophic, not only for the future of U.S. foreign policy, but for the bloodbath that Iraq will become as it falls into failed statehood--and 9/11 should have taught us what failed states mean for our national security...