In order for the Iraqis to begin stepping up, the American troops need to begin allowing Iraqis to take control of their own military operations.

Id like to think that most people consider me an optimist, despite what you may read here on a weekly basis. Im the kind of guy who looks for the silver lining, who always tries to find the good things in life whenever bad things happen.

But I was never optimistic about the Iraq War. I am sure that there are good things happening and our troops over there are doing wonderful things for the people of Iraq. For the most part, I view the war as a complete disaster. I know I am not alone in having this view: nearly two out of every three Americans share it.

There are others, however, who argue that things in Iraq are picking up. These optimists are people like Sen. John McCain who, on Tuesday, March 27, criticized CNNs Wolf Blitzer for giving the old line of three months ago, meaning Blitzer and others in the media are only reporting the bad that comes out of Iraq.

Earlier in the week, McCain had given an interview where he said things were getting better. There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through... [the U.S.] is beginning to succeed, McCain had said. Blitzer had questioned McCain on this fact and gave McCain the chance to explain his reasoning.

Thats where you ought to catch up on things, Wolf, McCain retorted. [Commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq] Gen. Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee.

However, CNN did its research and discovered that Gen. Petraeus did not, in fact, go out into Baghdad with an unarmed Humvee. Indeed, the general goes out with multiple armed Humvees, attack helicopters and several other defenses.

On the Tuesday that McCain had said things were safer, bombings in Baghdad killed over 50 people.

Agreeing about whether or not the troop surge in Iraq is working is not the issue. Once that surge leaves, the question remains: Will the peace stay? That is up to the Iraqis. However, what incentive do the Iraqis have to, as President Bush would call it, step up? The American troops are doing most of the work regarding defense in Iraq. In order for the Iraqis to begin stepping up, the American troops need to begin allowing Iraqis to take control of their own military operations. We currently are either partnering with ill-prepared Iraqi armed forces or taking full control of these operations ourselves. So again I ask: What incentive does a country have in raising an army if another army is going to do everything for them?

This is not to say that there is absolutely no progress whatsoever. Iraqis are receiving training (albeit, slowly), and American troops should be proud of that accomplishment. But that should be their main mission: the training of troops. However, the security of Iraq today is almost entirely reliant upon American troops, and this needs to change.

Despite all of my negativity, I truly do hope I am wrong. I hope the American (and Iraqi) military can succeed. My criticism is not an attack on our troops. I criticize the surge plan because I do not see how it can work. A gradual withdrawal makes greater sense: If we slowly remove more troops, it will behoove the Iraqis to step up rather than rely on their word that they plan on doing so.

My optimism cannot save me from feeling that the troop surge in Iraq will not go as planned. Iraq has become a war that no one had imagined it would become, where two religious sects, a terrorist organization and an insurgency are all fighting among each other. Its not quite a civil war, its not quite a conventional war; however, lacking definition for the war does not take away from the fact that we are stuck right in the middle of it.

We need to begin bringing our troops out of harms way. In doing so, we will keep our brave men and women safe while allowing the Iraqis to have responsibility over their own security. Optimism alone cannot win this war, no matter how much President Bush and Sen. McCain pretend it will.

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