tied in with a strong message of Iraq needs to decide its own future. Maybe float the idea of plebiscites...
I think we've done all we can to advance this idea marct...the walls we are banging our head against is the fact the the various parties aren't buying what we are selling. For the Kurds, the future of Iraq remains semi-autonomous rule in the north. For the Shi'a, the future is an ascendency of power aligned with Sadr in Baghdad, and Sistani in the south, with a bit of help from Iran where necessary. For the Sunni of Al Anbar, they probably see their best future as an Anbar operating in a semi-autonomous realm as well.

As I've said here before, the oil is great, but we can't discount the importance of the highway corridor to Jordan and Syria, nor the potential of hydro-electricity flowing from Haditha Dam. I do not think any man on the street can really envision a strong central government that governs through true democratic principles.