Impressions

Here are some impressions about what is going on in Iraq.

• As M K Bhadrakumar says at the Asia Times, the US (Cheney) pushed Maliki to attack Basra. Without control over Basra, the oil companies cannot come in. The attack was planned before Cheney's visit, but he probably gave the reluctant Maliki a 'my way or the highway' ultimatum. The 'the highway' being a euphemism for 'dead'.
• The strategy obviously failed (another sign of Cheney's involvement).
• The US, faced with the failure, made up the big lie that it was all Maliki's idea, and they didn't even know it was going to happen. Straight shooter John McCainiac was the chief beneficiary of the lie.
• Once more via Bhadrakumar, the Iranians were able to sit down with Sadr, the Badr boys and Maliki, and get a ceasefire within 48 hours with a shooting war in progress. Pretty damn impressive.
• The ceasefire doesn't include the Green Zone, where people are getting antsy under the bombardments. There's talk of a lot of people moving to the ironically named Camp Victory, which has the benefit of being at the airport.
• As usual, the obedient press pretends that with the ceasefire in Basra, we've returned to the normalcy that the surge is working, nothing more to report, especially not the Green Zone bombardments.
• The real question about the surge is if the facade can be maintained up to the elections.
• It won't be easy.