It Served Its Purpose…
… as a talking point and distraction. Now, watch as the splurge stops working.
Ok - that was one reason for the decreased violence in the last year (like all the way down to 2006 levels!). Another was the Mehdi cease-fire with U.S. & Iraqi troops, which will expire before too long - but not soon enough for many in the Mehdi army. Another was the splurge itself. Yes, it probably played some role in the reduction in violence. Unfortunately, it - like the Mehdi ceasefire and the Mehdi-SIIC pact - is temporary, and very little gains were secured for the long-term during the window of opportunity those three converging factors produced. So, right now only one leg of the prop is gone. For a little while longer relative peace (relative to 2007 anyway) may survive. Nevertheless, this is the beginning of the unraveling, and things are going to get worse before they get better.
Some say we cannot leave Iraq until we can guarantee a good outcome. I say that the outcome is going to suck one way or the other, and the only “good” we can hope for in the end is the return home of our own soldiers and whatever merits come with the solutions that Iraqis craft for themselves, out of necessity.
