[meema]

There's no way to back out of Iraq now so best thing is to reduce the losses, get as much of a win out of it as possible (which won't be much), and turn it over to the Iraqis as quickly as possible. Get the troops home to defend and put an end once and for all to this spreading democracy nonsense.
The Iraqis seemed quite happy with democracy and purple fingers a few months ago, if they want it it's up to them to keep it.

Well Said! We don't need 2-20 more years of this!

[RobbyS]

What we have been trying to do is to keep the country unified, to keep it from breaking up into parts. The hope was that the three main factions could share power in the central government. One of these parties, the Sunni, refused to go along. Instead they supported, or at least harbored the enemies of the new state. Something similar to Northern Ireland happened. where the IRA would accept nothing except unification with the South. Catholics in the North have never repudicated the IRA, and the Protestants are equally adamant not to share power with the Catholics.