DON'T TELL CONGRESSMAN MURTHA

Iraqi president predicts new government within weeks (Associated Press, 1/8/05)

Iraq's president predicted yesterday that a new government could be formed within weeks and said the country's main political groups had reached an agreement in principle on a coalition of national unity.

President Jalal Talabani made these comments after meeting visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who said Iraqis remained optimistic about their future despite suffering through a particularly violent week that saw nearly 200 people killed in two days. . . .

Meeting with Straw, Talabani said that Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political groups had agreed in principle on a national unity government that could be formed within a few weeks. Western diplomats in Baghdad have speculated that a government could be in place by the second half of February.

There's a thin line between a unrealistic pipe dream and a fait accompli. Congressman Murtha is right. If we're not careful, this might start to look like victory.

Posted by David Cohen at January 8, 2006 5:33 PM