Iraq - Presidential Election of 2008 - Democrats - Republicans - Troop Withdrawl - New York Times
Author Noah Feldman does an excellent job of recaping the current situation in Iraq with respect to political policy and the generaly ambivilance of the American, Iraqi, and Arab polulaitons as to its course. All agree America shouldn't have troops in Iraq, but none think that it is in any ones best interest for them to withdraw. Quite a paradox.
Politicians prepare themselves for the 2008 elections, but as the article mentions, regardless of who is in office, withdrawing from Iraq is much easier advocated at cocktail parties than in practice. Truly take a moment to think down the road of a full troop pull out. The potential for a pan-Arab war destabilizing the region far greater than is so right now is frightening. (And you though $3 a gallon was expensive).
Ultimately, it discusses the two possible strategic changes, shirt to a focused war on Al Qaeda or partition in to ethnic states. It discusses how both pretty much take the same amount of troops we have now and in both cases, the population sufferers quite a bit.
In total, a through article that clearly paints today's Iraqi reality without oversimplifying the political and physical realities of the situation.
