Facing Facts on Iraq

Consider, this is the public report issued today, not the more highly-sensitive full report the White House and key Congressional leaders see, that still reaches the inescapable verdict.... "NIE: Iraq 'Unable to Govern' Itself Effectively."

Even without the full NIE report, the bare facts are inescapable.... the government of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki "will continue to struggle" while the civil war grows ever more violent.

No wonder members of the Armed Services Committee Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), who did see the full report before today, called for the Iraqi parliament to oust Maliki.

The NIE, National Intelligence Estimate, which is a consensus judgment of the CIA and 15 other U.S. intelligence agencies, concludes.... If U.S. forces continue their current strategy, security "will continue to improve modestly" over the next six to 12 months but violence will remain high and political reconciliation will remain elusive.

How many more military lives is The Decider going to recklessly put in harms way for a cause even the currently vacationing political leaders of Iraq don't have the will to successfully pursue.

As The Decider likes to points out, we can't control what the "democratically elected" Iraqi parliament does (or doesn't do).

But, as the disaffected American public is loudly pointing out, we can decide to end our futile military involvement in Iraq. Now!