Is This the "Defining Moment"?

I hope not. We are taking sides in the intra-Shi'ite power struggle, at the same time as the bribes we paid western Iraqi Sunni's have stopped being paid. So the Awakening fades off to sleep (though still armed enough to take on the winner of the Shia play-offs) as al-Sadr balances his future between the US/Maliki government and the Iranian backed Badr brigades.

• Iraqi forces were plagued by desertions and mutinies in units send to Basra, where a government offensive against militias stalled and triggered fighting elsewhere.

• Last week, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, himself a Shiite, ordered a nationwide freeze on Iraqi raids against Shiite militants, bowing to demands by al-Sadr who had hinted at retaliation if Iraqi security forces continue to arrest his followers.

Our tr0ops remain in the middle. Why is it so bad if these forces finally fight it out. The will be doing it regardless of whether the US is there for 10 more minutes or 10 more years. Let it burn.

We gave them a chance and the "Iraqis" blew it. There is no Iraqi democracy. The "nation" of Iraq cannot be sustained by a democracy/dem-republic. The sooner we let go of the fantasy the better.

- posted by john @ 6:15 PM