"Iraq may have been one of them, but maybe not the deciding factor."
Of the innumerable "variety of reasons", I bet it stands right at the top of the list.
"they were imperfect parliamentary elections since they were drawn along sectarian lines and during a time when a sizable minority tried to reject the results."
I agree. The next election will further exercise their growing political and institutional skills. Bet the sunni sing a different tune. If so, is that a reconciled gesture of some note? If not, it's at least part of the continuum of progress.
Still, I anticipate a large turnout of Sunnis, particularly in al-Anbar. NOW. Compare the liklihood of setting voting booths up in Haditha, Ramadi, Tal Afar, and Fallujah in March, 2005? It would have been suicide. Not now and the sunni will be damned sure that their vote happens and is counted.
"A year after the invasion and only because it was feared Sistani would call a fatwa."
You quibble. Konrad Adenauer took office as Chancellor of W. Germany in 1949-four+ years after defeat. One year doesn't sound unreasonable for any reason.
"I don't think it has shown much in results, save for the fighting against al Qaeda"
One of those unintended benefits of this war has been the attraction of irhabists worldwide, largely under the banner of al-Qaeda. It's Iraq's misfortune that their baathist insurgency opened the doors for al Qaeda's entry. Were it not for the emergance of Zarqawi, we might have faced a greater and smarter threat.
Still, this was no empty battlefield and these beasts targeted the Iraqi citizenry of all sects to incite sectarian civil war. We know these things now so much better than when you and I first fought elsewhere. The Iraqis bear the burden here but global irhabists bear the guilt.
They make war among one another as much as the U.S. military. That Iraqis permit the presence of global irhabists invites down upon themselves FROM THESE SAME PEOPLE the bombings, intimidations, assassinations, and all the sectarian motivations unleashed by these brutal provocations.
Whacking them is good. Iraqis being hurt is bad. Americans being safe is good. Our guys can't help it but, when we travel in the middle east, our Army seems to attract every jerk w/ an AK in sight. Herodotus, for some reason I sleep better knowing that.
"Kirkuk hasn't been resolved, or oil sharing. I am encouraged by the reversal of de-Baathification...baby steps I suppose."
It IS wobbly, uncertain, difficult baby-steps. We've got to be extrordinarily mature. Increasingly we seem to be the guarantor from whom all expect a fair mediation. That's both good and bad. There's parliamentary movement and, however tentative, it's noticable compared to the absolute stagnancy heretofore.
"how to remove ourselves without further damage should now be the goal."
No. It shouldn't. OUr main goal now should be how to optimize our presence, however it diminishes, to best nat'l and Iraqi effect. Until we are convinced of Iraqi bad faith and utter incorrigible insincerity to build a stable, secure, emerging democracy, we should help however
they wish to the greatest extent possible for ourselves.
"Well if anything S-2 you have impeccable taste in at least one movie."
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
