Just remember, Tom, a majority of Iraqis are Shiites who hold close ties and share cultural associations to the theocracy in Iran.

Yes, there are some places in Iraq with relative calm at tthe present time. But there are also places like the Sunni triangle and western Iraq which are infused with violence. And there are places like Basra where we can expect to see a very fundamentalist form of Islam take hold and stifle the rights and freedoms of others. Meanwhile, what could threaten the Kurdish north is due time are Kurdish nationals intent upon carving a Kurdish state out of Iraq and Turkey.

Its for these reasons we are like to be Iraq watching our soldiers get killed and our taxpayer dollars spent for a very long time.

THis isn't about what the New York Times wants you to see. This is about sticking your head in the sand and not recognizing just how serious the problems are. You want to sugar coat a turd, Tom. Unfortunately, we're all gonna have to swallow it.