[Numbers Guy]

Very much worth reading, especially the analysis on what's being done to destroy Sadr. Once you limit the problem of Fallujah and knock out Sadr's support, you have a much brighter future.

[JasonC]

The interesting angle, that he just alludes to really, is the idea that the cease fire in Fallujah was an implicit threat to Sistani and company. It told them, essentially, "we can make a deal with the Sunnis and bring back a Sunni strongman from Baathist days, if you insist on making trouble". That was a new take on it to me, and makes sense. Sistani's interests are all on the side of keeping things reasonably quiet until a handover of power - our interests too.