It looks like efforts to install an American style democracy has been successful.

From my perspective American political leaders (of both parties)remain unable to govern effectively. In our case I'd find a prediction that the Bush administration would grow weaker over the next 6 to 12 months a reason for hope.

"This is why...

we must keep the surge going! It's current failure is why we must re-double our efforts to make it work! Now, if it had done everything it was supposed to, then it could have been called off. But because it's not working, we must continue to do it until it does." GWB, October 2007

How impolite!

You're blowin' up Petraeus' spot with your NIEs and predictions and whatnot.

If it doesn't come from Petraeus' mouth (or vicariously so through the White House), it's worthless, everybody knows that.

He is the Magnificent Carnak of our time. Accept no imitations.

La la la la la. Rest assured, all is well.

Your government is in control.

Why Should The Iraqi Government Take Responsibility When They Can Blame It All On Us?

That’s why this imagery of our nation being “at war” inside of Iraq is such a lie!

Is there only one, clearly identifiable “enemy” in Iraq with a specific goal?

NO!

What’s happening in Iraq isn’t a “war” but rather a civil war raging between three different ethnic groups – almost all of them just ordinary Iraqi civilians who are blowing each other up. Despite Bush’s absolute insistence that all Iraqi’s problems are the fault of “outside foreigners” attacking hapless good-natured Iraqi citizens – the truth is becoming more irrefutable every day.

How can our military “win” a street fight between 3 different racists street gangs/militas – especially since we haven’t declared a side??

So on top of our troops trying to referee a gang war between the Crips and Bloods, er, excuse me, between the Sunni and Shittes and Kurds (an impossible task in and of itself!) – now they have the added problem of a totally ineffective government!

Let’s review the problems in Iraq:

The infrastructure is crumbling. No electricity and no clean water (FYI – you can’t bomb the water system working again)

There is no clear enemy to fight – just civilians who are fighting each other and we’re stuck in the crossfire

There is rampant unemployment (you can’t use tanks to explode ruined factories back into operation and thus bring investors back into the country)

The police and judicial systems have all fractures along ethnic/religious lines deepening and exacerbating the “us vs. them” mentality between Shitte and Sunni and Kurds (whose favorite pastime seems to be taking turns blowing each others mosques up).

Oh! And now we’re being told that the government is totally ineffective and being run – not by brilliant Jeffersonian statesman and political scholars – but by semi-illiterate thugs who are more interested in consolidating relationships with IRAN than in forming a secular democracy.

More interested in consolidating relationships with Iran than in establishing a functioning representative coalition government

Does this sound like World War II to anyone?

Does this even sound like a “war” in any sense of the word?

So how does keeping our troops in the crossfire between Sunni and Shitte gangs keep America safe from Al-Qaeda?

Keeping our troops there longer won’t make the government any smarter or less in love with Iran.

Keeping our troops there won’t magically bring back the water/electricity infrastructure.

Keeping our troops there won’t suddenly force Sunni and Shitte to love each other.

Getting these kids killed isn’t serving any strategic military function – in fact, it’s allowing the Iraqi government to escape responsibility by shifting blame for everything onto the Americans!

“No jobs? No clean water? Don’t blame us! Blame the Americans!”