Six Months

One Friedman ago today, Senator Kerry asked Quiet American Michael O'Hanlon a question:

So my question to each of you, in sum, is if there isn't sufficient evidence of this kind of summitry and diplomacy -- if there isn't a sufficient political process in place -- and I want your judgment as to whether or not there is -- will more troops have any chance of, in fact, getting what we want, or is it going to make matters worse? And if it does, where are we after putting them in in six months if it hasn't worked? Mr. O'Hanlon?

MR. O'HANLON: Senator Kerry, very tough question. I like your idea of a ledger. On the positive side of the troop surge proposal, I would say we all know tactically there have never been enough troops in Iraq to clear and hold. So that's the tactical argument for this case. It would have been a much more compelling argument three and four years ago than it is today, but I think it remains at some level in the plus column. On the negative column, of course, we know that there is no political resolution of these very sectarian divides --