John Burns of the NYT on the surge

Courtesy Newsbusters:

Matt Lauer: By its very nature a surge is a temporary dynamic. What is the biggest factor in your opinion as to whether they can have success in the near term and the longer term?

NYT Baghdad Bureau Chief John Burns: Well, the number of troops, that's fine. The amount of time they can stay, we think that's probably finite, too. And the calculations of the insurgents, who, as one military officer said to me, will always trade territory for time. That's to say, they will move out, they will wait. Because they know the political dynamic in the United States is moving in a direction that is probably going to be favorable to them.

We have already tipped our hand.