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Uncle,
This type of operation is just more stupidity from the GQ Generals running the Non-War in Iraq. There is no reason your nephew or any other American needs to be made deliberately vulnerable to attack.. We have already had instances when GIs were gunned down by their "Iraqi Partners"

Separate the Shias and Sunnis...

Separate their Commands

Set up a DMZ between the factions and have their people secure each side of that DMZ..

The GQ Generals are actually fighting what the Iraqi people are doing themselves... Separating. Mixed neighborhoods are vanishing and as housing becomes available people are moving to their own kind Let them, Help them. Establish a DMZ around Sadr City and between the Sunnis and Shia where ever they are Let them run their own neighborhoods and require they not start a big fight with each other.. (That is what you back by US Muscle If an American gets attacked in a particular neighborhood you can investigate and either bring down the local leader and put someone else in place or follow his lead and capture/kill the people he identifies as the culprits..

Get our troops out of the line of fire where ever possible..

Establish a large Base down South to push back against the Iranian Influence in Shiaville.. Keep a smaller presence in Sunniland around Baghdad and sent the rest to secure the borders along Iran and Syria..

(The Kurds have demonstrated this works. They are Muslim and not Killing US Soldiers) They live in relative peace and security.. Just copy the model.. and get the ego out of this.

If it makes our "leaders Happy call them "States" who gives a rip just separate them. Make their leaders responsible for keeping the peace and hammer them if they don't Peace in Iraq not Rocket Science it is simple and straight forward.. They are a tribal people and we will never succeed until we learn that and accept it.. W

I appreciate your sentiments and thoughts on the over all issue. but unfortunatly it is not that simple to carry out what you would like to see.
What I do hope is enough has changed within the IG at this point to indicate they no longer will sit back and play games only favoring the Shia end, and allowing all kinds of graft, and mismanagment to occure.
Many blam GWB and said he had failed. Well it is complicated. Only a few months back had the IG (the really first real Iraqi government elected by Iraqi) finally started to show it is finally ready to accept the things that must be done.
I believe we shall see many things change as this new plan takes effect. And any way one looks at it, the Iraqi really need a few more years from a military view point to become fully independent. I often harp about their need to finally activate a nation wide military HQ/Service/Support system, which has been lacking. They need many large computerized and effecient depots to supply their new army and police with both the personal gear, firearms, vehicles, airsupport etc., to take over all the major operations.
Things are slowly starting to take effect. They need more time.
And unless we abandon the concept of uniting the country, their political processes must have time to mature.
One cannot force things on them that are still foreign and or barely understood.
This new coalition of political parties now forming under Allawi's leadership is one example that holds out hope Iraq can actually morph into a more westernized democratic nation.
It really is a quite bold step. And despite many bad reports out how defecient their army and police under a given brigade, regiment or division. The fact remains some of their units have matured and are really taking the fight to their enemies along side our troops as well as in some fully independent operations.
They need time to change for the better.