Angelina Jolie writes in today's Washington Post:
As for the question of whether the surge is working, I can only state what I witnessed: U.N. staff and those of non-governmental organizations seem to feel they have the right set of circumstances to attempt to scale up their programs. And when I asked the troops if they wanted to go home as soon as possible, they said that they miss home but feel invested in Iraq. They have lost many friends and want to be a part of the humanitarian progress they now feel is possible.
The article isn't really about the military situation, and she stipulates half-way through the piece that she is "not a security expert," but she's only saying what security experts have been saying for months now. If this analysis doesn't help her win an Academy Award, and it won't, it's an extremely effective piece of diplomacy. She pleads on behalf of the UNHCR "for $261 million this year to provide for refugees and internally displaced persons." Congress should give it to her. She also asks each of the presidential candidates "to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy." McCain should be first in line to offer such a plan. The case for sustaining the U.S. presence there has always been based, in part, on the responsibility this country has to the people of Iraq. Let Obama explain how he's going to assure the safe return of refugees in tandem with a withdrawal of U.S. forces.