Monday July 21, 2008

I've Been Thinking:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has thrust himself into the US news cycle for a reason.
Maliki wants to influence US policy and US elections.
And his pronouncement, calling for a timetable for US troop withdrawal from Iraq, is the perfect compliment to Barack Obama's stated policy.

Understand something. Maliki really does want the US out, but he also wants more than that. He is playing to his people and he is playing to please Barack Obama.

Here is the problem. The military leadership needs some stability. If they advise a US withdrawal it must be a slow process, so slow that the handover and the terrorists will not even realize that it is happening.
Right now, relations are fine between the United States, the Iraqi military and local Iraqi law enforcement and training programs are running smoothly.

The relationship is better and more professional that it has ever been.
But the relationship is still very fragile.
And training still takes time and requires an entire transformation of attitude and discipline.

Maliki wants the power.
Maliki wants to be seen internally as giving the United States orders and being a real partner with the super power.
And Maliki wants to jab the administration just a little and echo Obama's line.

Read my new book THUGS. It's easy. Just click.
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595550739