In early December, when Senate Democrats politely questioned Robert M. Gates and then voted unanimously to confirm him as Defense Secretary

Robert Gates Lines Up with Bush

The appointment of Robert Gates to replace Donald Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary was widely viewed as a sign that George W. Bush was prepared to accept more realism on the Iraq War and possibly agree to a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops. That wishful thinking led Democrats to treat Gates as a closet ally and to support his nomination unanimously. But the new Defense Secretary now is signaling that he's onboard with Bush's determination to press ahead in Iraq until "victory." December 19, 2006

Top Ten Things Not to Do in Iraq

George W. Bush seems determined to "double down" his bet on the Iraq War despite overwhelming public opposition and the recommendations for a phased withdrawal from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. Bush is now toying with the idea of adding 15,000 to 30,000 more U.S. troops, a scheme called "The Surge." In this guest essay, Ivan Eland puts that plan at the top of his list of ten things not to do in Iraq. December 19, 2006