Conspiracy theory!

I think it's strange that there is a false "debate" on whether the surge will end due to its success. The surge MUST end next spring due to the limits on troop rotations - this is no reflection on its success or failure.

I sincerely believe that it's perverse and Orwellian to announce "success" for both the establishment AND reversal of a policy.

The Surge is a success for its contribution to a strong centralized government. The arming of the Sunni tribes is a success for its innovative stability brought by circumventing the inefficient, corrupt central government.

We have always been at War with Oceania. Eurasia has always been our ally.

TPM Muckraker has a video of Sen. Jack Reed drilling in with Petraeus on this matter on whether the 30,000 'withdrawal' by a year from now is 'conditions based' or required by the unavailability of replacement troops.

Astoundingly, Petraeus admits that the surge brigades have to leave - and then says he has not inquired if US Reserves or Guard forces are available if the conditions require the surge force levels.

You may be correct, Brian, that surging so you can de-surge later and claim withdrawal is pretty ingenious if that's what Bush/Cheney have done.

Since that would require that BushCo looked a year into the future last January, I actually doubt if the WH spin machine was that farsighted - their vision limit being usually the next news cycle. It seems more like taking advantage of potential gains or advantage by having to jump out of the soup of sh*t you are in before you get boiled.