Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/iraq-victory-declaration-idea-gdp-report-top-weeks-news Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks discuss the top news of the week, including an idea to declare victory in Iraq and the latest economic figures. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JIM LEHRER: And finally tonight, the analysis of Shields and Brooks, syndicated columnist Mark Shields, New York Times columnist David Brooks.First, let's talk about Iraq and Afghanistan. On the issue of declaring victory in Iraq and pulling out, what do you think? DAVID BROOKS: I would be suspicious of that. I mean, things in Iraq are going in our direction. There are frustrations, as there have been for the past five years or six years, about the performance of this or that Iraqi player.Nonetheless, things tend to be going in the right direction. Why would we want to accelerate a process that seems to be working? It's clear we're getting out, but why would we want to accelerate and endanger that process when so far it seems to be working reasonably well? JIM LEHRER: And as Rajiv said, Mark, this is not a widely held position within the top at the Pentagon, anyhow. MARK SHIELDS: No, it's just people in the field, Jim. It's the people there every day. That's where the dissatisfaction and the yearning to get out, I think, is strongest. JIM LEHRER: Do you have a view of it? MARK SHIELDS: I do have a view of it. I do not see what the payoff is. JIM LEHRER: You mean, to get out? MARK SHIELDS: No, for staying longer… JIM LEHRER: Oh, staying longer? MARK SHIELDS: … for just extending it indefinitely. I mean, I don't disagree that things are going well, but I do not see the value right now. I mean, the anecdotal evidence from on the ground is that the Iraqis are very much feeling frisky or full of themselves and, you know, are enjoying it, their newfound power and authority. And… JIM LEHRER: So let them have it? MARK SHIELDS: That's right. JIM LEHRER: You don't feel that way? DAVID BROOKS: Well, we are getting out. It's a question of how fast. JIM LEHRER: Yes, OK.All right, on Afghanistan, the second part of the thing. The apparent need for more troops and the point that was in — that Margaret and Rajiv were talking about, that there's not a lot of sympathy for that or a lot of support for that at the White House or also at the Pentagon for that.