Let me go out on a limb and predict that Kestra's previous post, and next post, are gleeful, almost schoolgirl-like giggles over what he perceives to be President Bush taking a black eye on national television for owning up to the status of Iraq. I know -- call me psychic.

On topic, however, this is precisely in keeping with what should have been done in 2004 -- Bush was more correct than he realized when he declared Iraq was a region-wide conflict, a focus point for the region, and that it would stand or fall together. While I think a true occupation should have abandoned this idiotic "light footprint" nonsense three years ago in favor of 400,000 ground troops, write-their-Constitution-for-them "heavy footprint" methodology, the fact that at least some enthusiastic saber-rattling is being pointed Iran's way is a hopeful sign -- there will be no peace in Iraq so long as Iran and Syria act with impunity, and it appears, at present, that until this raid, they had very good reason to believe that impunity was perpetual.