There is a lot of "the surge is working" talk on the news and on the blogs lately, but the fact is that America's allies in Iraq are either already gone or packing up to leave later this year.
In fact, the "British surge," which happened earlier this year and was modestly successful at quelling violence at first, has failed miserably. The Brits in Basra are holed up at in their base, isolated and anxiously awaiting their withdrawal date. U.S. news sources rarely report on the sectarian violence in southern Iraq because of the lack of American troops there. But what will happen to the rest of the country when the Brits leave for home?
I highly doubt that the American people have the stomach for another surge-like technique, which is a band-aid at best due to the worsening political situation. So, when the Brits leave, all of our extra troops will be needed in the southern part of the country.
To make matters worse, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are holding hands and making plans for the future, with the cameras on, for all to see.
I can imagine 500 ways this could get worse before it gets better. But it's all about the political solution...and we're not any closer to that than we were the day the tanks rolled into Iraq.
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