Powell...disagreeing with Bush...who'd have thought?

A truthout article posted this morning goes a long way toward reiterating the position that former Secretary of State Colin Powell took before his resignation in January 2005. It is somewhat relieving to know that some things do not change.
Rather than agreeing with his former boss on the situation in Iraq, Gen. Powell once again has looked for the right solution to the problem, siding instead with the results of the Iraq Study Group which has determined that a "surge" of troops as suggested by Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) would do nothing to alleviate the problem and has advocated the phased withdrawal called for by most Democrats on the hill.
And what does Bush have to say about all this? The same as usual: "The insurgency in Iraq is not a civil war." Thank you, Mr. President. What is it then, a tea party?
The article, if you take the time to read, highlights the lack of freshly available troops to be sent to Iraq. Rather, a "surge" by Ms. DeYoung's reporting includes keeping already-deployed troops at their posts beyond their original assignments and bringing back those veterans who have already served a tour or more outside the Green Zone for a little more foot-time with the dead horse.
I do disagree in part with Gen. Powell's response to the Syria/Iran question. I agree that either state would be loathe to help our country at this juncture, due to sour relations between all; however, I believe that those states, if approached appropriately and with due respect, would be willing to set aside their personal differences to approach a peaceful solution and return stability to Iraq. I also disagree with Gen. Powell's disdain for these two states. True, they may be engaging in activities with which our government does not agree. Let it be said, though, that most of our activities over the past three years have not been a source for agreement among any in the international community - except to say that we have overstepped our bounds. I believe it is time for this country to learn humility and to accept the fact that we are not the international watchdogs.
In fact, we may no longer be an international superpower if we continue to invest all of our assets into an unwinnable war. It's time to step up and let the Middle East take care of its own.