The last way forward

Bush's speech, like his strategy, was unsatisfying. But there are no good options left for the U.S. in Iraq.

January 11, 2007

PRESIDENT BUSH'S latest plan for Iraq has the feel of an overdue high school book report. It looks nice, reads well and is persuasive in parts. If only he had handed it in on time.

The "new way forward" outlined by the president in a prime-time address Wednesday makes too many obvious points (Iraqis must have more of a stake in their nation's success) and includes too many tired tropes (the war in Iraq is a central front in the war against terrorism). But the core of Bush's speech — the reason to maintain at least some flicker of hope — was an absolute-final-we're-really-serious-this-time ultimatum to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.

Represent all Iraqis, Bush said, and do not prevent U.S. and Iraqi troops from cracking down on Shiite militias, or face U.S. disengagement. The test of this strategy will be whether Maliki, who owes his position to Shiite support, understands that the U.S. will not take sides in an Iraqi civil war — and whether Bush means it when he says his commitment is not open-ended.

The president said he will order an additional 21,500 U.S. troops to Iraq, to be deployed mostly in Baghdad, and their goal will be to help Iraqi forces make the city safe. This is hardly new. Just last summer, to much fanfare, Maliki announced something called Operation Together Forward to provide security to "all neighborhoods of Baghdad." That effort failed miserably because Iraqi forces too often abandoned their posts or contributed to the sectarian violence instead of preventing it. Just last month, Bush's own national security advisor questioned Maliki's commitment to the rule of law and his ability to enforce it.

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