The U. S. has won in Iraq in the sense that we removed Saddam, restored freedom to the Iraqi people, helped set up a Constitutional government and helped to rebuild the country. That's winning.
There is nothing more to win. By keeping troops in occupation we provide battlefield targets for every Arab with an AK-47 and an even bigger target for politicians in Congress.
We should secure the Iraqi oilfields and operate them under a U. S. protectorate. We should then withdraw our troops in a way that protects them as they come home.
Iran is another problem. My guess is that Iran will do nothing that would risk their only source of export dollars, their oil flow.
Iran is a non-industrial nation. There are more cars in Rh ode Island than in Iran. Why do they need nuclear energy if they are sitting on the worlds 4th largest oil reserve?
No Virginia. Iran wants nukes to "Wipe Israel off the face of the Earth."
I disagree. The current strategy of US forces providing training for the Iraqis is good as they are learning and doing the hard work of rounding up the bad guys while most clashes and deaths are amongst Iraqi factions/civilians. FReeper SandRat posts great updates on many of the small victories you never hear about in the news.
Rather than secure their oilfields and operate them under a protectorate, lending more credence to the "blood for oil" critics, better the US go gangbusters becoming energy indpendent at home with more drilling, nukes, renewables, conservation, etc..
Most problems in Iraq are media driven/fabricated, and not countered by the White House, whose worst failure in Iraq has been PR at home. IMHO