The Iraq mission cannot afford more careless talk

Next week's testimony from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker to Congress on Iraq will give us the best idea yet of how the surge is progressing. To date, the signs are encouraging: to cut sectarian killings in Baghdad in half is a real achievement and begins to provide the conditions in which a political solution to Iraq's problems can be found.

Yet, proponents of the surge have to be careful that the enthusiasm surrounding it doesn't begin to resemble the predictions of a cakewalk that preceded the invasion. If it does, the inevitable setbacks that the surge will face will become an argument for withdrawing immediately, a course that would result in total disaster both for Iraq and America's security interests in the region.

So, it is unhelpful in the extreme for Bush to start making pronouncements like "we're kicking ass." As John McCain has long argued, public support for the war can only be maintained if the electorate feel that their leaders are levelling with them about how long and tough a struggle this will be. Another 'mission accomplished' or 'last throes' moment could snap the public's patience.