Via Andrew Sullivan comes this tidbit from the World Politics Review blog. My emphasis:
[A]s the glue that holds Iraq’s disparate parts together, the U.S. is now playing the role that Saddam Hussein formerly played in Iraq, and we’re playing it for the same reason that we were willing to tolerate Hussein for as long as we did: to contain Iran’s regional influence. What’s more, it’s a role that has once again led us to ally ourselves with some unsavory and unpredictable characters, all of whom have their own agendas that don’t always correspond to ours.
I’m not certain that the Iraqis aren’t able to be hold things together on their own, but I am certain that this is exactly why the US propped up Saddam Hussein for so long.
Ironic, yes?
Wow. Does this mean that GWB is the Tito of Mesopotamia?