A major strategic mistake

Michael O'Hanlon in the Washington Post:

According to recent news reports, the Bush administration will not ask Congress for additional foreign aid for Iraq in its coming budget request. This would be a major strategic mistake. Iraq's infrastructure is still in mediocre shape, and most of its citizens are still seriously underemployed. Such an aid cutoff would be especially surprising coming from a president who has built his Iraq policy on an unflinching commitment to staying the course and completing the mission. Economics is a critical element of any success strategy for Iraq.

O'Hanlon goes on to argue why. Across at Winds of Change, Marc Danziger asks: 'how in the world does this connect to winning the war?' I don't know, is my answer. And to go on to Marc's next point, I also can't explain why it's 'just fine'. It undermines the regime change and democratizing objectives of the war.