Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki broadcast a joint appeal for national unity on Tuesday with bitter Sunni critics of his Shi'ite-led government - a move that may help him win U.S. help against rampant Islamists threatening Baghdad.
Just hours after Maliki's Shi'ite allies had angrily vowed to boycott any cooperation with the biggest Sunni party and his government had accused Sunni neighbor Saudi Arabia of backing "genocide", the premier's visibly uncomfortable televised appearance may reflect U.S. impatience with its Baghdad protege.
And they stood with the Kurds, too.
What's the saying? When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully?
ISIS (ISIL) is certainly taking care of the "hanging" part.
Now let's see the Iraqis concentrate on re-defeating al Qaeda in Iraq.
That applies to America, too.
