Pragmatic Patraeus and his Political Plan

In a new strategy for Iraq, General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have indicated that as Sunni insurgent groups like al-Qaeda in Iraq wane, Shiite militias will become more important to the security situation.

The question is, if our focus comes off the Sunni groups, will their action remain reduced? Wack-a-Mole isn’t just a bad arcade game. At the moment the surged has either forced insurgents underground momentarily, or routed them out more permanently. We can’t know until we turn our backs, but either way we have a moment to catch our breath.

Aside from creating a situation where political reconciliation could potentially develop, the Bush administration actually seems to understand that is crucial to the solution.

The plan also acknowledges that the U.S. military -- with limited time and troops -- cannot guarantee a wholesale defeat of its enemies in Iraq, and instead is seeking "political accommodation" to persuade them to end the use of violence

One must admit that since the administration has changed course in Iraq, there has been progress. We don’t know if that progress is more a measure of initial failure, or subsequent success, but it’s fragile progress, a slight opportunity for reconciliation before the window of peace closes.