There's a heated debate, nay, a conflagration of words, in my circle of friends and coworkers, on the topic of what we should do now in Iraq.

There's general agreement that the Bush war was wrong and that the Welcome and Huzzah post-war cheering that was anticipated to preclude any need for planning and rebuilding never happened and never would have substituted for a proper post-combat strategy, in any case.

OK. So our troops are in Iraq, being killed in the hundreds--Iraqi civilians being slaughtered by the thousands, and what should we do, ethically and practically?

Some say we made a mess. We're obligated to stay as conquerors and occupiers until peace and order are established and the infrastructure rebuilt and an American-friendly government in place.

Some say we should get out, as soon as possible, and leave the Iraqis to manage things for themselves. In a part of the world where civilization arose millenia ago, they can manage quite nicely without our meddling, thank you. Just sent millions of dollars, tons of food and equipment and keep hands off.

Others say in response that leaving Iraq now will leave it as easy pickings for strong men espousing the most radical of misogynistic fundamentalist Islamics (think of Afghanistan), decades of oppression and violence, and that is unacceptable.

Others say to invite other Islamic countries to form a safety net for Iraq, to guide and assist. Saudi Arabia, for instance, could serve as a shining example of proper treatment of women and Indonesia could provide tutoring on economics and national leadership.

Aren't there any good plans out there?