[Tallguy]

How long before al-Maliki is hanging by his heels from a bridge? I give it a year... two at the outside.

[Abathar]

Iran’s leaders are just drooling at this, there is going to be one big-assed party in Tehran tonight.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I give it the latest...March 2012 when we pull out in this Dec.

We could have had a secure area to launch on Iran, or just to keep this whole mideast s...hole somewhat together.

the reason I hate Obozo is not just that he gave it up for his election, but that he really wants Iran and syria to win!

[RedEyeJack]

More likely that al-Maliki will be forced out by Sadar and the Shites will begin a genocidal campaign against the Sunnis in al-Anbar. If the Iraqi Sunnis are smart they will support the uprising (by Sunnis against Shites) in Syria and look to make Syria a Sunni state that includes al-Anbar and especially the al-Akas oil field (in al-Anbar) that was discovered in 2006. The realignment along religious grounds will leave the Arab Shites in Iraq to deal with Persian Shites in Iran and the Arab Sunnis in Syria (including al-Anbar). This realignment will negate the national borders established by the British after WWI that were intended to exploit the differences to preserve colonial power.

Write off the Kurds... they are caught between Iranian Shites, Iraqi Shites, Syrian Sunnis (their only hope) and the Turks. They are screwed (again).