is the war in iraq welfare?

Neocon warmongers warn that having an explicit time table would just encourage Iraqi insurgents by giving them a definite goal: if you can hang on until the pullout date, you win! However, in "Endgame, Anyone?", Jeff A. Taylor makes an extremely cogent point:

the certitude that Uncle Sam is going to pull the plug sooner or later, be it on food stamps or paratroopers, pushes you to shape up. Baghdad, get your shit together; we're leaving next Tuesday.

Will Iraq descend into anarchy when we leave? I don't know, but there is a good case to be made that our leaving could improve the situation.