Well in advance, the French said it wouldn't work, based on their own 30-year experience at trying to turn Algeria into a democracy.

     My Representative, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, said so, and refused to vote to give President George W. Bush authority to use force against Iraq. It's likely the only reason most of the Congress authorized force was to allow the President and his state department the power they needed to negotiate settlements.

     But instead, we attacked. We are the aggressor, and throughout history unprovoked attacks seldom have succeeded.

     But now, four long, bloody years later, the President's party is beginning to worry. Staying the course sounded good until Republicans began kicking off reelection campaigns.

     Finally, people are starting to think.

Plan B

     This week, The Dallas Morning News, a newspaper whose ownership and editorial board supports Republican and business causes almost exclusively, presented "Plan B in Iraq," a proposed  altering of the course that has merit.

     The Morning News is proposing that we neither stay the course nor bring the troops home. But immediately we should move troops out of the line of fire by relocating all bases to rural areas within 100 miles of Iraq's borders. Our troops should be concentrated along the borders with Syria and Iran and more sparsely near the Saudi, Jordanian and Kuwaiti borders.

     In short, we will let Iraq work out it's own problems while we keep outsiders from either interfering or supporting and arming any faction.

      I don't know if this Plan B is the answer, but I hope you click both the links below and read both editorials describing it in more detail. And we should encourage other journalists and our congressmen to present plans.

      The Iraqis will fight us for years, just as we Americans would fight them if they attacked us. Republicans seem to have missed the "Golden Rule" of relationships back in business school.

      We will never, ever win over enemies by trying to kill them all.

      "Smart" bombs are not smart. All bombs are stupid.

      We should have learned by now the easiest and most effective way to win over enemies is to transform them into friends.

      That advice came from the Middle East some 2,000 years ago. And it's still the best advice the world has ever received.

Plan B for Iraq

Answering Skeptics: Don't write off Plan B for Iraq until you read this