Not that I think he is wrong but old Rummy appears to be taking a new tack:

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has warned it may be years before the insurgency in Iraq is defeated. Speaking on US television, Mr Rumsfeld said ultimately Iraq's own forces, rather than coalition troops, would beat the insurgents. Earlier, Mr Rumsfeld said US officials in Iraq have had talks with leaders of the insurgency.

So if the leaders of the insurgency are Al Queda as we have been told - is the US in talks with Al Queda? That is sort of an old style sort of war, trying to find terms with the enemy, isn't it? And I suppose that the measure of the sufficiency of the skill of the Iraqi forces will be its ability to sustain the exit of US troops.

Meanwhile, the President appears to be talking about some other future. It must be my cold meds. Surely that is it.