Mission has Changed But Troops Still Face Combat in Iraq

Even when the president announced on national television that combat operations have ended in Iraq, U.S. forces still face combat challenges. No one should have been surprised that U.S. troops still would be engaged in combat in Iraq even after the president's declaration, as there is still much work to be done.

The final chapter has yet to be written on U.S. military intervention in Iraq. The U.S. can shape that history, or we can repeat the mistakes made after U.S. pullout from Vietnam, in this case the strategic ramifications will be horrendous if we fail.

The administration has virtually washed its hands of Iraq, only speaking on the subject when it has to. Vice President Joseph Biden is the president's point person, but he has a very dubious track record on the subject, and his foreign policy expertise has been questioned over time.

The president needs to lay out a coordinated effort on the diplomatic front in resolving the disputed Iraqi election and forging a partnership with the Iraqi government, that doesn't undue or negate the gains from the surge. History is still being written and we can build on the success of the surge or we can fail with victory in our grasp.