Iraq will remain a mess as long as the central government has 0 authority

[BurtWorm]

In other words, as long as the US tries to prop it up.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/21/AR2006082100469.html?nav=rss_politics

QUESTION: More than 3,500 Iraqis were killed last month, the highest civilian monthly total since the war began.

Are you disappointed with the lack of progress by Iraq's unity government in bringing together the sectarian and ethnic groups?

BUSH: No, I am aware that extremists and terrorists are doing everything they can to prevent Iraq's democracy from growing stronger.

BUSH: That's what I'm aware of.

And, therefore, we have a plan to help them -- them, the Iraqis -- achieve their objectives. Part of the plan is political; that is to help the Maliki government work on reconciliation and to work on rehabilitating the community.

The other part is, of course, security. And I have given our commanders all the flexibility they need to adjust tactics to be able to help the Iraqi government defeat those who want to thwart the ambitions of the people. And that includes a very robust security plan for Baghdad.

We have, you may or may not know, moved troops from Mosul -- Stryker Brigade -- into Baghdad, all aiming to help the Iraqi government succeed.