HEAR! HEAR! jbello. Well said!

In my opinion,there are 2 issues here. First,in the US we are blaming the victim. The Bush administration gets some cover for their mistakes by doing this. But why do the Democrats do it? It seems that no one in power in this country can or will look at the situation objectively. None of them is ready to take responsibility for the true consequences of the ongoing occupation, and for the resistance the Iraqi people at large have to it.

Second, in many cases, I think, the Iraqi government doesn't enable our initiatives, doesn't produce the results that are our benchmarks, because they don't want to. They don't like our oil agreement. Why would they stay into the summer to sign it? They don't want to sign it in the first place. Except for the Kurds and a few renegade Sunnis, they don't want to break up the country either. And, they also don't want to enact power sharing 'agreements' 'scientifically' designed by an outside agency. Nor do they think it would be likely to succeed if they concurred. They need the time and the 'freedom' to work them out in their own way.

As I see it, one critical problem is that some of the most powerful factions are unwilling to participate in the process until the end of the occupation is in sight. The current leadership may be willing to work with us, but they know that no agreement made without the consensus of these other factions will stand. They also know that the US will be determined to enforce such an agreement, and will expect them to put their men on the line to do so as well. This would (and already does) amount to the US conscripting them into a civil war against the nationalist, anti-occupation forces of their own countrymen. They do not want to do this.

That's why we can't trust their soldiers after all this time. That is why Al Maliki can't stabilize the government and rule outside the Green zone. There is no way an outside force can mandate order in this situation. It has to come from within. Every day we stay, the potential for integrity in the Iraqi political sphere is further eroded. Every time we attack members of political factions there that reject US intervention and resist US control of an emerging political process, we further damage the potential for recovery.

We talk about Al Maliki as if he could control the country, but as long as he is perceived to be complicit in US manipulation of the country, he will never lead a legitimate Iraqi government that has the support of the competing factions. If you find this bothersome, consider the American Revolution. What patriot would tolerate a government that was a proxy for King George? Even if the Governor were sent back to England and the new government had the formal trappings of democracy, if it was answerable first to George and governed by a constitution his diplomats helped to write, it would not have been legitimate.

So I don't think replacing Al Maliki will improve the situation either. It's time for us to go and give them a chance to find their own center. It would be nice if we would stand in the background with reparations ready for when they can process them rather than stand in the foreground trying to enforce a false structure that isn't stable enough to do anything constructive.

Replacing Maliki,to me, won't make ANY difference! Iraq doesn't need a pro-American(or pro-Iranian)'puppet'!
They just need a good,honest Iraqi citizen,who unconditionally wants Iraq to be at peace for the good of all.
The Iraqi people have to WANT peace amongst themselves and see each other as equal Iraqi National citizens BEFORE they concern themselves with their bitternesses and sectarian/tribal differences, which is difficult because that's a 'pot'which has been boiling for hundreds of years,in the shadows,now splattered all over 'the kitchen'walls!
The American politicians are only interested in a leader and a future with Iraq that will benefit them strategically,and be pro-American,WHICH IRONICALLY is what any ordinary citizen would want anyway,a friendly diplomatic and peaceful relationship between Iraq and the USA.I am so sick of all this game of poliics and power displays(to Iran etc),when people on both sides continue to get killed.
America has to accept that Iraq will NEVER have the same Democratic system as the States,UNLESS they want it!
And WHY THE HECK SHOULD THEY MIRROR a political system,which appears to be on it's way to ruin,thanks to people like Bush and Cheney and a weak Congress who will not commit themseves,and standup for American principles or defend the Constitution,right here,in the States?
I love America dearly,but,some fine example we are right now,eh?
Does Iraq WANT us to leave? If so,then militarily,we should begin to withdraw from Iraq, with a public,formal,friendly,consensus,signed by both countries.
The Iraqi people will do very little while America is there,because they WONT HAVE TO! I have met many Muslim people and many are WONDERFUL,but,with all respect to them,they see their fate as in God's hands,Inshallah Bahdain,mumkin!LOL!
And,it's too darn hot to exert any energy! 'Let the Americans do it',they say,'we'll have some tea,and watch the soccer!As long as Al Qaeda don't blow up what's left of our TV sets'! I bet even Al Qeada watch Liverpool LOL!
So,instead of America "standing down",as the Iraqi's"stand up",we should be doing it in reverse.We should begin,right now,to gradually withdraw our troops,with their signed agreement,and THEN,they will HAVE TO STAND UP an act, and sort out their country,finally! There's no argument of "winning" or "losing",because Iraq is not our enemy.Our enemy is Al-Qaeda and their ilk!
Our presence in Iraq has drawn extremists like Al Qaeda,to Iraq,like A MAGNET!But that should not be our excuse to stay there,or the excuse that being in Iraq, is useful for displaying our military muscle on the doorstep of Iran,regardless of whether their Mahdi? army is arming insurgents etc,in Iraq.
We should not have been in Iraq, from the get-go EXCEPT to maybe remove ole' Saddam and leave the Iraqi people to reform their country as they wish,whether pro-American or not,oil or not.It's their land.We should have left and only stayed longer at their formal request.
Everything we do with them,should be formalized on paper,with their signature of agreement,then in the future,they can't turn round and say,'We didn't want America to go/leave/stay/defend/democratize us' etc etc. No excuses to be enemies,when we should be friends!
I don't see Iraq as being my enemy.Just the extremists like Al Qaeda and the like,who seek to even destroy their own people 'of the book'! Neither do I FEAR Al Qaeda,I just hate them because they are blindly hypocitical,and put themselves before their faith!
Whoever the new leader/representative of Iraq is,only the Iraqi people should decide who they want to lead their country.Whoever it is,he/they are going to have a difficult job,with all the 'in-fighting' and tribal/sectarian differences and power-hunger which has now come out into the daylight.Whether it's Maliki or Allawi,or whoever.They have to see themselves as
IRAQI first and foremost,not Sunni,Shiite,Kurdish etc. And no puppetry!
The Iraqi people MUST prove that they can live peacefully together.And we should leave militarily,remaining only as friends and hopefully business partners.It all up to Iraq,we have no further place to interfere in their lives and owe it to them,to help them rebuild their hospitals,schools,power plants etc to a decent standard.
Heck!We should be drinking tea,laughing,debating and watching football with them! The World Cup is on the way! Maybe America should build them a new international soccer stadium, as a parting gift of good will? Just think,now that Saddam and his sons have gone,the football players won't get tortured,or imprisoned,for merely LOSING a game of football!
I can understand why people like Al Maliki should get fed-up and angry with America,or anyone else who is preying on Iraq's vulnerabilities right now.He must be feeling quite dizzy,right now,poor guy! Surrounded by poitical leeches!
He does not have an easy job and I just hope that the Iraqi people will help him as much as possible and forget their internal strifes.Unify, as a Country!
Iraq or no Iraq,America will STILL have to deal with scum like Al Qaeda and SO will the rest of the world,including Iraq!
Change is never easy,but a healthy future is sure worth a good try!
Peace,Salaam,Shalom!

This is all a distraction to shift the blame away from Bush and the Republicans, If one can make the case that it's Maliki's fault then one can also make the case to prolong the occupation.

It seems that Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has united most members of the US congress against him, as calls for his resignation or removal have been echoing from both sides of the aisles, including some who are in the US presidential race like Hillary Clinton. But the attacks on the Iraqi Prime Minister can only be seen as a convenient way of deflecting criticism of the "surge" strategy.
Will replacing Maliki make any difference?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ya7xo4lv82k