In the first of his four part series on the Future of Iraq, Michael Totten questions whether the relative calm is permanent and sustainable, or if it's just an extended lull in the violence. My own conclusion is there is more reason for optimism than pessimism for the future of Iraq. But I was struck by this quote from Totten's Spanish colleague, Ramon Lobo.
'The Bush Administration has done a big favor for the Obama Administration. Obama arrived with everything fixed. If the situation is okay, you can go. And if it's not okay, the Iraqis may ask you to stay a little bit more.'
And Obama to his credit is keeping his options open, with troop drawdown going forward according to conditions on the ground in Iraq, just as Bush had insisted. This newfound flexibility on Obama's part is diametrically opposed to what he promised on the campaign trail, for which we should be thankful. That this one is among the many Obama campaign promises that have expired is reason for optimism.
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