Fareed Zakaria has been one of more thoughtful analysts of Midest issues and particularly our engagement in Iraq, but the problem I have with the plan or our current policy is summed up in one paragraph:
The Kurds have ensured that their autonomous region is governed essentially as a separate country with its own army. The largest Shia parties want to maintain their militias to bolster their own power base, independent of the state. And the Sunnis do not want to wind down the insurgency, for fear that they will be impoverished or killed in the new Iraq. Nobody believes that, after the Americans, this power struggle will be resolved with ballots. So they are all keeping their bullets.
The core of his plan, the gradual redeployment with a rapid response presence and advisors sounds very similar to me to the plan Cong. Murtha suggested nearly a year ago, except that Murtha suggested redeployment to Kuwait, also with rapid response forces and advisors, rather than 4 superbases on Iraq territory.
I dont how we get out of this mess, but I am anxious to see the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group (Baker/Hamilton Commission).