The June 30th deadline appears now to be cast in stone by the Bush administration.

This is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation with no easy out. Duhbya's administration has no focus on to whom authority is to be handed. Those perceived by the population to be US puppets will be rejected and have no claim to legitimacy. Any election will give the Shia the theocracy they want and dominance over the Sunni and Kurds. This is a sure route to civil war.

To not meet the deadline will destroy any credibility we have and might continue the resistance we are facing now with a wider uprising. Additionally this would send a message throughout the region that the US is not to be trusted because Mr. Bush went back on his word. And Bush cast the fact and date of the turn over in stone.

Either way, there are major problems ahead for the region. Do we do a Nixon by declaring victory and going home? This would leave a chaotic vacumm in the region.

Bad box.

Publius