Blame

Hey, remember when the argument was made that our presence in Iraq was what caused sectarian violence and that if only we'd leave completely, we'd eliminate the cause of that violence?

Our military has been out of Iraq for a year and a half now. Violence in Iraq is picking up:

Gunmen killed at least seven soldiers in central Iraq on Thursday, officials said, in the latest episode of violence to hit the country in a particularly bloody month. ...

The attacks followed a spike in violence that has left nearly 300 dead over the past 10 days. Alarmed by a nationwide deterioration in the security situation, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered a reshuffle in senior military ranks.

Deadly enemies, sectarian differences, al Qaeda and Iranian efforts to destabilize Iraq, corruption in the security forces, and war in Syria combine to increase Iraqi deaths with nary an American in sight.