Those countries willingness to fund and train "insurgency"...better known as terrorism...in Iraq is the crux of the entire matter.
There's a war between the Wahabbists and the Shiite radicals...in ADDITION to a simmering cold war between the Sunni-Arab bloc and the Iran-Syria bloc. Pakistan may even be lining up with Iran.
Alas, I don't think a deal is possible. And without that deal, there'll be a BLOODY civil war.
I'm thinking that might be exaclty what was going on last week with Cheney's trip into the region, and this week with Bush.
They are trying mightily to get the pieces in as beneficial arrangement as possible as quickly as possible... before the Dems pull out the funding and leave a bloodbath like Viet Nam turned in to '75.