They need to take more and more control and responsibility until they do so at 100%.

It is not easy to force the Iraqi people take the matters in their own hands. There is no other way: USA troops cannot stay there forever. And more they stay, depper conflicts will be. However, dropping everything and pulling the forces will cause the disaster. When Soviets withdrew forces from Afganistan, it lead to the war escalation and, eventually, to 911.

In Viet Nam, after finally, everyone but the village idiot realized that this was a bad cause, we started Vietnamization. We turned everything over the the natives and pulled out. For better or worse, it was done.

We still have a rearguard action by a substantial populace who thinks that Iraq is a good idea. About a year from now we will start Iraqization. We will turn it over to the locals, who will promptly collapse and the radicals will take over.

We had a strongman who could run the place, keep Iran in check, and keep all the factions controlled. His name was Saddam Hussein. Now, let's see. What happened to him?

This is what inevitably will happen. The US can't stay there for 100 years proping up whatever leader suits our interests there. The Iraqi's will eventually have to decide what to do about their country. The immediate goal in my view is that they must clean up much of the corruption which is present in most levels of the Iraqi government. That country certainly has enough wealth generated from petroleum to completely rebuild their country. The key is getting rid of the graft first. Much of Iraq's wealth has been squandered and pillaged by various entities. Also Iraq must reconstruct its military and its civil service, which was disbanded after Saddam Hussein left power. Many of these people were non-political--this is the professional class of the country and they must be allowed to contribute in the rebuilding of their country. Only they have the expertise to do it. The next big project has be to help the Iraqi's develop a plan for distributing the wealth. This is key for providing the foundation for the reconstruction of Iraq. That will require compromise and competent and impartial diplomacy on our part. These steps won't end the political problems, but it will go a long way in pacifying the situation. This will allow us to draw down the conflict and get out with one piece.

I must reinterate that the problem here is a political one, not a military one entirely. The US has failed thus far in Iraq because it has continued to see the problems there as military. The broad goal must be to reintegrate Iraqi society.

They needed a good, swift kick in the pants, and I believe that's been done. They are already taking control of Iraq's destiny.

Like what? Put a gun on their heads? Iraq IS taking control if its destiny, but the pace is set bythe difficulties faced, not by an irrational schedule totally out of rationality and reality. It takes time to rebuild a nation. Remember Japan, most of Western Europe, etc.

As long as we are there they will not step up to the plate to fight for the outcome they desire.