There came a time during the American conflict in Vietnam when most Americans realized that, notwithstanding favorable "kill ratios" and burgeoning "body counts" and generals' visions of "light at the end of the tunnel," Vietnamese opponents of the American invaders and occupiers would never stop coming. We Americans couldn't kill them fast enough or in great enough numbers to end the war, ever. The war was not winnable. Most Americans now realize, with Bush and his minions thoroughly discredited on all Iraq issues, that the fighting between and among Iraqi tribal and religious groups will not stop no matter how many soldiers and Marines Bush orders into the cauldron. It is almost impossible to believe that a 15% increase in troop levels will alter the course of Iraq's disintegration. Bush's plan looks very much like putting off the inevitable.
Percy Slogthrop, Saukville, Wisconsin, USA

Bush will find little support in the U.S for his "new way forward' in Iraq no matter what it is. Except for the ever decreasing numbers of 'dead-enders' who would follow Bush off a cliff, Americans have finally seen the light about our arrogant, petulant Decider: he doesn't have a clue how to unscramble the egg he laid in Iraq. The one thing we are all sure of is that his proposal will cost billions more of dollars and ever more casualties. I haven't seen so much public contempt for a sitting president since the dire days preceding the impeachment and resignation of Nixon.