Not a bad idea...

An article from The Australian, suggesting that Australia pull its troops out by Christmas, unless the U.S. engages in "high-level diplomacy" in order to find some way to bring stability to the region: Fraser calls for Iraq withdrawal The Australian

This echoes a call for diplomacy by Thomas Friedman in a July 18, 2007 article, "Help Wanted: Peacemaker" (the link is to a reprint kindly posted on the web for those in need....)

But the White House still seems utterly convinced of the rightness of its actions, and of the possibility that the surge could work, despite all appearances to the contrary. It is a mystery to me that they could see what's happening in Iraq and still think their strategy might work out. Of course, it was also a mystery that they thought invading Iraq was a) necessary and b) a good idea.

So let's bring our men and women in the armed forces home, and bring in the diplomats. For those a bit confused by rhetoric, the fact that I want the men and women in the military home and safe, means that I support them. I'm tired of seeing them blown to bits, dehumanized, and otherwise damaged. Their lives are valuable and worth saving.