This is the top priority of al Qaeda in Iraq. "The first stage," Zawahiri wrote last July in his strategy letter to Zarqawi, is to "expel the Americans from Iraq." He also counseled Zarqawi to be prepared because "things may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam-and how they ran and left their agents-is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them. We must take the initiative and impose a fait accompli upon our enemies, instead of the enemy imposing one on us, wherein our lot would be to merely resist their schemes." With word from leaders Boehner and Frist that troop withdrawal bills pushed by Democrats may soon be debated, Republicans should welcome the discussion. They should aggressively point out to the American people the strategic and moral consequences of adopting the Dean-Murtha-Pelosi-Kerry plan for Iraq.