Withdrawal Timetable as Fig Leaf

Most Democrats and a few Republicans are pushing for a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. All serious analysts view a timetable as the direct equivalent of announcing defeat. Stretching out an announced withdrawal is just creating a fig leaf for that defeat to hide behind. Should such a timetable become law, various insurgents will say "When Uncle Sugar leaves, we will waste the puppet government and take over."

I reason about Iraq as follows:

1. The timetable leads directly to civil war after the U.S. leaves, followed by balkanization - probable Turkish invasion of northern (Kurdish) Iraq and Iranian hegemony over southern (Shia) Iraq. Those two powers might give Syria control of central (Sunni) Iraq. In other words, most things the U.S. doesn't want to happen in Iraq will happen.
2. However, during the period between announcing the timetable and when the last U.S. troops leave, additional U.S. men and women will be injured and killed to accomplish exactly nothing.
3. Therefore, if we conclude a timetable is desirable, the timetable should be to get the last U.S. troops out of the country in the minimum time possible, say 2 weeks. Our guys (and gals) in uniform should saddle up and ride south to Kuwait.

As I see it, we either stay and finish the job or declare victory and leave immediately. Any other choice is a cynical waste of American lives and money.