"Are we willing to withdraw and let the Iraqis choose the government they want, regardless of what we want their government to look like? Past practice indicates we are not. Yet we are willing to withdraw. Why is that?"

We not not withdrawing. And Iraq is not being run by the US miltary, rather it's being "run" by the State dept/Coalition which is in close cooperation with the US Miltary- or it's a *joint* operation- miltary hunting bad guys or maintaining security and training Iraqis on miltary security, State is working with Iraqi council, and other civil concerns. In the summer the State dept is transferring it's quasi soveriegn power (Occupation authority- as recognized by the UN) completely over to Iraqi control. The State dept then morphs into US embassy- which I imagine will still have a joint function with Miltary. True soveriegn power would be only "recognized" when those in charge are voted in by the Iraqi people- which according to how we "view things" has always held this soveriegn power- "consent of those governed" and all that jazz.