Biting the Hand that Feeds

This from the Christian Science Monitor:

"Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday ordered the dismantling of US and Iraqi checkpoints surrounding the area."

And why might that be?

"The checkpoints - manned by US and Iraqi troops for a week in an effort to find a kidnapped US military translator of Iraqi descent as well as snare an alleged death-squad leader - had snarled traffic and bred growing anger in the slum."

We're concerned about traffic delays and pissed-off motorists when the country is infested with guerilla fighters and murdering jihadists? This smells more of a power play to me.

"The Americans agreed with Maliki's decision to leave Sadr City because of the US elections," says a driver with the nickname Abu Haidar. "If they let [the unrest] continue, it will spread. Moqtada [al-Sadr] and Maliki played it very well."

And there is the crux of it all, boys and girls. We acquiesed to the demands of Maliki because it was a good decision tactically right? Because we want our translator back? Not so much. Turns out our withdrawl was politically calculated, just like this whole damned war.

Bottom line, politicians cannot win wars. Generals, soldiers and specialists do. Politicians are spineless slaves to opinion polls, and its nauseating. The last time politicians got too involved with a war, we had Vietnam. Get the message?