Decades? Ack! I'm really hoping one way or the other this is resolved in something that can only be measured in fractions of one decade. I'd like us gone within the next year or two. Otherwise, we won't have enough time for Iran, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, Canada, and the Netherlands. And then we might even retake Hawaii just for kicks.

Oops, almost forgot my <g> and :)

>Jason,
>
>Well, nobody should be surprised to discover that an occupation has to last for years or even decades. Look at Germany and Japan after WWII - and those occupiers weren't trying to impose an awkward political model and didn't have armed insurgents to deal with.