From NYTimes.com: McCain ‘Surprised’ by Iraq Developments
As he launched a tour here designed to highlight his family’s long tradition of military service, Senator John McCain said Monday that he was surprised by the latest turn of events in America’s current war in Iraq.
“Maliki decided to take on this operation without consulting the Americans,” Mr. McCain said on his campaign bus as it rolled through downtown Meridian, saying that the move showed independence but that he had expected the military to focus on Mosul.
“I just am surprised that he would take it on himself to go down and take charge of a military offensive,” he said. “I had not anticipated that he would do that.”
How can McCain be surprised by anything that goes on in Iraq. It’s been pretty clear that the Iraqi government doesn’t listen to us. We’ve bought time for them with our “surge”, but time and lives have been wasted as the Iraqi government is no closer to building a coalition that will hold the country together. As long as we’re there “protecting” them, no real steps towards working things out will be made. No one wants to negotiate a settlement when they believe they can win total control in the future. So we have two options. Stay there for a longer, indefinite duration or start to slowly pull out and let the Iraqi government realize that total chaos will break out unless they find their own solution.
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