Fascinating column in the reliably conservative Wall Street Journal yesterday by reliably conservative Capital Journal columnist John Harwood about the opinion of the military analyst of the reliably conservative Hudson Institute. Says retired Gen. William E. Odom:
"We have failed. The issue is how high a price we're going to pay. ... Less, by getting out sooner, or more, by getting out later?"
This is the man who directed the National Security Agency for President Ronald Reagan, a true conservative Republican who believes in a strong American realpolitick who teaches at Georgetown and Yale. Listen to what he says:
"Anybody that's pro-American cannot gain legitimacy. It will be a highly illiberal democracy, inspired by Islamic culture, extremely hostile to the West and probably quite willing ... to fund terrorist organizations ... It probably will radicalize Saudi Arabia, [and] it could easily radicalize Egypt."
True conservatives - those of balanced budgets, smaller government, and the traditional American big stick - are breaking ranks now with a President they (for the most part privately) loathe and cannot respect. Gen. Odom has a prescription that not even John Kerry endorses - leave immediately and call the Europeans' bluff on putting peace-keepers in under a U.N. flag.
Oh and by the way, 10 more today.
