General Abazaid

Among my friends is a source in the Romanian defense ministry. This person tells me that even before the Iraq Study Group had delivered its report, administration envoys were asking the Romanian government to increase their troop commitment in Iraq as a complement to America's decision to do the same.

Despite all the posturing about reaching out for advice, and nothing being off the table, it's long been decided that George W. Bush is going to double down in Iraq. The only question that remains is whether the increase in our number of troops will be 20,000, 30,000 or more. All that argues for the lower end of that range is the reticence of The Joint Chiefs and General Abizaid who seem certain that if the Iraqi government is to become effective, and legitimate, it has to succeed without the promise of an ever larger American crutch.

The sacrifice of more lives for a failed policy is counterintuitive, but we shouldn't be surprised. This new initiative is a spasm born of aggravation and a fatal lack of understanding. George W. Bush cultivates a reputation as the ultimate cowboy, a risk taker who enjoys gambling on long odds. He avoids gray areas, goes with his gut, and never looks back. In the first instance he relies on a sense of entitlement that comes from a lifetime of failure and evaded responsibility. In the last instance he's emboldened by a belief in God so narcissistic that he's convinced the Almighty is obliged to save him from himself.