Winning in Iraq

William S. Lind continues to get things right; anyone Presidential candidate who hires him will rise in my estimation. It looks like he's found the best chance for the U.S. to achieve some semblance of victory in Iraq. Lind's 3-point plan;

- comes to terms with Iran, as Nixon did with China in the Vietnam War.
- "allowing [with Iran's probable assistance] any elements that may hold the potential of restoring an Iraqi state to rise within Iraq." This will probably be a Shiite leader, probably Muqtada al-Sadr, who can also unite at least some Sunni insurgents as well. The "objective is solely the restoration of a real state, and that al-Sadr may be able to accomplish. If he can, we will have little to complain about in terms of his toleration of al-Qaeda or other Fourth Generation [non-state, terrorist] elements."
- withdraw American troops.

Lind implicitly suggests that if we repair relations with Iran and then leave, any ensuing civil war will be shorter and less bloody before a leader restores a functioning Iraqi state. Withdrawing won't be as bad as some predict, and I tend to agree with Lind. And in any case, if the killing does continue, at least Americans won't be involved anymore.