How about you take your political whinging to Jet Blast, where it belongs?
Story from the BBC:
Simply speaking the truth and consequences. The west's inability to prevent this happening in the first place and then not dealing with it when it did, has lead to the spread of unrest around the world and the results we are seeing now, and it is rapidly getting away from all western countries to deal with it.
You yourself mentioned the possibilty of pulling US troops out of a region, that would never have happened if the west had shown resolve, went in hard with material supplies and gave them the ability not to defend their country, but to retake it.
But they didn't and the arguing amongst politicians in all countries as to the next move is costing lives and showing the west as being weak and telling everyone, hold out against western power for a couple of years and they will start to fold their hand.
Personally I think this all cracked off with Russia's excursion into Georgia while the west was diverted elsewhere, and our lack of support and action to help the Georgian people, that signalled to Putin he could get away with such actions.