All right! Let's bring 'em home

We have to stay in Iraq because they need us to provide security. Isn't that the way the argument goes? Well, today, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said they don't need us:

During a press conference, al-Maliki shrugged off the progress report, saying that difficulty in enacting the reforms was "natural" given Iraq's turmoil.

"We are not talking about a government in a stable political environment but one in the shadow of huge challenges," al-Maliki said. "So when we talk about the presence of some negative points in the political process, that's fairly natural."

Al-Maliki said his government needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms that Washington seeks — "particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference."

But he said if necessary, Iraqi police and soldiers could fill the void left by the departure of coalition forces.

"We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want," he said.

You should read the whole article; it's got some nice criticisms of Petraeus and the US strategy from the Iraqi point of view, too. The bottom line: we're not making things better there.

So why, again, are we staying?