According to Washington Post, Pentagon is considering three options re Iraq:

• Go Big – send in more troops.
• Go Long – shrink the force but stay longer.
• Go Home – pull out

I would add to that list another option:

• Go Up – switch to air power.

This option pulls most of the ground troops out but retains enough to secure a handful of key air-fields from which air power can be projected. From these unassailable towers of air power, we can strike down any large scale anti-government forces and aid pro-government forces as needed to keep it from spinning out of control. Death toll among the Iraqis will be heavy but I think this is the best compromise.