I worry that you are correct, Roper, but think about the alternatives. If we don't stick it out, then Iran and Al Qaeda will surely shift their efforts to Afghanistan, and the situation there will get much worse. And Kurdistan will likely declare its independence, which will draw Turkey in, and Iran will likely take over the Shia movement in Iraq, and the Jihadists will crow about their victory over the US, and our stature in the world will be weakened, and the will of the US people to be involved overseas will evaporate, until another 9/11 or worse....

We have stuck our feet in the muck and I don't see us getting out with our shoes on until the muck dries.  The only thing that held Iraq together was Saddam's dictatorship and now it is trying to find a way to do it under democracy.  Change in the region had to start happening at some point - the sooner the better for our future's sake.

Even the Shia are divided into different factions.  Many Shia in Iraq are not aligned with Iran but there is not doubt Iran has a lot of influence among enough to cause problems.

The reality is, I believe we're going to be involved the Middle East and Southwest Asia for some time...perhaps until the final war. 

Ditto to everything said thus far. It all has merit.

And this is why it is short sighted and wrong for individuals like Reid, Pelosi, and Murtha to be spouting off the "we've lost, we've lost... run away run away!" lies they have been doing in ever increasing vitriol. We are in it, and we have to be willing to be in it until the other side has lost the will to fight or wait it out. So we have the pattern from the Book of Mormon when it comes to dealing with gadiantan movements.

It is short sighted politics going on, and unfortunately it seems the only thing that is going to wake some of the yahoos up to the danger that still exists is for the enemy to be successful in causing strikes on our shores or the shores of a close ally again. And by then, mark my words, things will have become so divisive that they will not rally around the common good again, but will after a brief period of "mourning" start with the "it's all their fault" pointing at their political opponents and the "we told you so".

Of course, regardless of what happens, with the exception of the UK (most likely), all European "powerbroker" nations will continue to play the role of islamic fundamentalist sycophants and appeasers seeking for the Chamberlain solution.

The question is not "Why we won't win" it is "Why we don't want to win" Put me in charge and I can win this tomorrow. Of course the bad areas of Iraq will be rubble pile and the borders will be secured with a shoot first order but we will win.

The problem with war today is that there are so many rules that prevent a truly effective campaign. In WWII we routinely hit civilian targets, churches, shrines, etc. We have decided that war should be civilized and that this is more important than victory.