Surge clearly not the entire answerOct 16th, 2007 - 02:39:19

Some neighborhoods in Baghdad that were mixed Shia/Sunni have now been taken over by the Shia, which reduced violence in those areas. Al Qaeda finds it more difficult to function, but appears to have become more active in the north, and in Afghanistan as well.

We have a giant band-aid on a sucking chest wound, and all the good stories emanating from the Generals (and stifled by Petraeus, who has more sense than to believe his own publicity) are doing nothing to resolve the problem of a non-existent central government in Iraq.

Meanwhile, State last night noted that the conference in Annapolis might be postponed, and of course Dr. Rice, who herself set minimal expectations, is not trying to shine a better light on the mud puddle that is the Israel/Palestine problem.

Business as usual in the Bush administration - lack of capability, lack of policy, and denial. See things get markedly worse the end of 2006, note that the Sunni themselves are sick of al Qaeda, and pay them to do what they were already doing. Some of that money is going to informers, no doubt - but this is a country why payola is the normal mode of business, including at the highest levels of government.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/07/AR200710070144 8.html

Reconciliation Seen Unattainable Amid Struggle for Power

By Joshua Partlow
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, October 8, 2007; Page A01

BAGHDAD -- For much of this year, the U.S. military strategy in Iraq has sought to reduce violence so that politicians could bring about national reconciliation, but several top Iraqi leaders say they have lost faith in that broad goal.

Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government. Instead of reconciliation, they now stress alternative and perhaps more attainable goals: streamlining the government bureaucracy, placing experienced technocrats in positions of authority and improving the dismal record of providing basic services.

'I don't think there is something called reconciliation, and there will be no reconciliation as such,' said Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, a Kurd. 'To me, it is a very inaccurate term. This is a struggle about power.'

Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shiite cleric and parliament member, said any future reconciliation would emerge naturally from an efficient, fair government, not through short-term political engineering among Sunnis and Shiites.

'Reconciliation should be a result and not a goal by itself,' he said. 'You should create the atmosphere for correct relationships, and not wave slogans that 'I want to reconcile with you.' '

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