From an interesting column of a few weeks ago by Mona Charen on National Review Online. She points out that many of those seeking a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq then argue that American "diplomacy" will be effective in achieving, well...something...in Iraq...somehow. Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson says that, if elected, he would "immediately withdraw all of our troops" from Iraq and will then employ "intensive diplomacy" to promote stability there.
But how? What leverage would America have to help us persuade anyone to do anything? Diplomacy sometimes is necessary and in certain situations can be beneficial. But diplomacy without a nation's power backing it up is likely to fail. Charen: "But diplomacy that is not backed by the threat of force is gaseous and futile."
