Informed Speculation

Only if you are the most partisan of hacks…take it away, Kos:

Every person that argues that the US must “stay the course” is now operating in direct opposition to the wishes of the Iraqi government. Every person that opposes a US withdrawal timetable is now operating in direct opposition to the wishes of the Iraqi government.

Reaching out to the Sunni Arab community, Iraqi leaders called for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and said Iraq’s opposition had a “legitimate right” of resistance.

Not only do they want us out, but they’ve also greenlighted further attacks on US and allied forces.

It’s really time to get the f*** out.

In reality, it is excellent news…why?

Because you have Shiites reaching out to Sunnis to bring them into the fold (yes, the statement of a ‘legitimate right’ to resist is troubling…more on that in a minute). Here’s the NY Times:

Shiite leaders have long maintained that a pullout should be done according to milestones, and not before Iraqi security forces are fully operational. The closing statement upheld a Sunni demand for a pullout, while preserving aspects of Shiite demands, but did not specify when a withdrawal should begin, making it more of a symbolic gesture than a concrete agenda item that could be followed up by the Iraqi government.

In other words, they have basically endorsed the Administration position, that ‘as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down’.

What of the ‘resistance’ statement? The Times again:

The statement, while condemning the wave of terrorism that has engulfed Iraq, also broadly acknowledged a general right to resist foreign occupation. That was another effort to compromise with Sunnis who had sought to legitimize the insurgency. The statement condemned terror attacks and religious backing for them, and it demanded the release of innocent prisoners and an investigation into reports of torture.

The reality is this: the more engaged in state-building the Sunnis become, the less likely they are to look kindly on the insurgents. Yes, this is a partial victory for the Sunnis – but don’t we want them to come on board?

The naysayers are having a field day with this hugely positive step…proof positive that hatred of Bush has blinded many of the Left from seeing a victory under any circumstances…