Two conflicting reports on Iraq this morning that illustrate how bizarre the U.S. position there has become.
First, the Washington Post reports that Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki wants to hold a referendum on kicking out U.S. troops before the 2011 deadline in the status-of-forces agreement. The vote may not happen -- but if it does, it seems likely that a majority of Iraqis would support it. The U.S. occupation remains deeply unpopular.
Remember, al-Maliki billed the June 30 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities as the day of glory and a "great victory" for Iraqis.
Meanwhile, in the New York Times, there's a report that Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, wants to deploy more troops in cities in northern Iraq. The Mosul area has been the second most-violent in Iraq, behind only Baghdad, since the June 30 withdrawal.
"Al Qaeda is exploiting these fissures you're seeing between Arabs and the Kurds in Nineveh Province and the K.R.G.," General Odierno said, referring to the Kurdistan regional government, in a briefing with a small group of reporters. "What we're trying to do is close that fissure."
As Juan Cole put it this morning, "one of these two moves is a dead end."
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Categories: Iraq, Politics, Regional News, War and Terrorism, War in Iraq
Tags: Gen. Ray Odierno, Ninewa province, Nouri al-Maliki, status-of-forces agreement
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