Congressman Sweeney's recent comment about Iraq in the PostStar's 'print-debate' in the 20th CD was the following: "Those who propose immediate withdrawal cannot answer the question of what happens to Iraq and global security after we leave." 
Advocates of 'realism' in foreign policy can answer this very simply. The bottom line is that our security interests, not Iraq's or global security should be the priority for legislator's or statesman. This doesn't fly with the Richard Holbrooke's or Condi's of the world, or even hardcore Liberatraians for that matter. If one is not part of the complicitors that put us into this mess to begin with, urging immediate withdrawal is motivated by common sense and indifference to the plight of people who don't want us there anyway.
The situation on the ground in Iraq is going to get worse before it gets better. Our soldier's are being asked to police a civil war. Advocating immediate or even a time tabled withdrawal is not a concession to terrorism or the like. It is an assertion that would require the current government to deal with it or be removed by new powers to be. Phil Maymin, the Libertarian candidate in CT's 4th district, is calling for a July 4, 2007 deadline.
One of the problems is that the Iraqi security detail is not made of the heartiest stock. One simply has to view the sparse video tape that accompanies these reports of progress. Imagine if this country were successfully invaded and the new crop of cops came from all the soda jerks who didn't enlist in the state's monopoly of force and power. The resistance would be lead and composed of those who did have that training and those skills.
The next two years will not see a withdrawal from Iraq. GWB will dig his heels in and let the next office holder decide th fate of that situation. The favorites and frontrunner's (Hillary & McCain?) will posture on strength and security and not have any real pressure to do anything until the 2010 cycle. We need to examine why we are there and how not to let this happen again. Of course we're still in Japan, Germany and South Korea, the withdrawal from Vietnam was probably the best thing to happen in terms of cost to the taxpayers.