Leaving Iraq now with Iraqi stronger no longer means we are retreating.
The Iraqis are a little too confident of their ability to hold off Syrian and Iranian meddling in the short run, but the trend is certainly good. So the Iraqis are urging us out a little faster:
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the U.S. military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops.
Despite the tough words, al-Maliki's aides insisted a compromise could be found on the two main stumbling blocks to an accord governing the U.S. military presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.
Give Maliki a break so his rhetoric can calm a population that may not appreciate the difficulties Iraq faces as the Iraqis celebrate their victories over their internal enemies. The Iraqis can take justifiable pride in the improvement of their security forces. But it is easy for them to forget our role in getting Iraq to that position. But Iraq's leaders know better.
It's all about crafting words, I think. In the end, we'll pull out of combat except for special forces and fire support, but keep troops and aircraft there for years to protect Iraq from internal enemies trying to win outside of the democratic process and to protect Iraq from external enemies until the Iraqi military can take on that role.
Iraq is standing up. This is a welcome sign and not one to worry about.
