msummo

Iraq has managed to hold together since it was created, almost 100 years ago

It hasn't held together - it's been forced together by 2 dictators. An artificial stability. Fake. Unreal.

The penning has been a way to buy time, build up the central authority. It isn't a final solution but it is an interim solution. But it is also only one of the reasons the surge has worked.

Yes, that's always the argument as the walls go up. Peace thru segregation and purging - it works - for those doing the penning. It's getting the walls down again...and not having the incarcerated try to kill you while you do it that's a problem. That's why they stay up.

There is no indication that things will turn out like you are proposing they will. Things are still going well, but if Iraq becomes as stable as Northern Ireland is today it will be a victory for the United States.

N. Ireland isn't stable! It's a powder keg waiting to go off. 40 years and they build more walls. Everything is segregated except commerce. The aigs and prods do not live together or socialize or shop the same stores...their kids do not know anything but walls and separation. The Unionists still march with impunity...and are killed for it whenever possible.

The same can be said about the government, it has been making progress in strides and bounds, if it continues on this track it shows all signs of continuing to make progress. Things aren't going as quickly as we hoped, but no one can dispute that they are moving forward.

Yes!!!!! You miss my point. They are moving faster than we expected. Or planned for. Things just aren't going our way with that central gov't you think we are waiting for. They are not budding - they are blossoming.

And you propose we should just ignore and replace dissenting commanders with yes-men?

The Joint Chiefs will be replaced. You see any dissenters there now? The dissenters got fired or resigned. They do not negotiate...gov'ts do that. No one elected them. They are tools. Maliki is trying to keep his Army under his control as well...a military coup is never out of the picture.

Iraq has taken advantage of the cards we dealt them. Good for them. They'll negotiate as equals not supplicants...and that was never in our plan. If they choose to keep and man the walls...the killings will be on them.