General Martin Dempsey ... said he had recommended helping Iraq better deal with the re-emergence of al Qaeda.
"We've made a recommendation that as we look at the challenges faced by the Lebanese armed forces, the Iraqi security forces with a re-emerging al Qaeda in Iraq, and the Jordanians, that we would work with them to help them build additional capability," Dempsey told reporters at the Pentagon.
If we can help throttle al Qaeda, it makes it easier for Maliki to restrain Shia death squads seeking revenge. And suppressing al Qaeda makes it easier to work with Sunni Arabs over political differences since Shias naturally don't like being murdered by terrorists who find refuge in the Sunni Arab community.
We have to act like we care about what happens to Iraq.
