The Never Ending War Is Fully Realized

Two news items which are definitely related.

Item 1. U.S.-led forces should only withdraw from Iraq when local security forces are able to maintain order on their own, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday.

Talabani, who embarks on an official visit to France later this week, told the daily Le Figaro a civil war could still be avoided despite the heavy daily death toll in Iraq from bomb and other attacks, and said that al Qaeda's influence was declining.

"The international coalition will only withdraw when Iraqi security forces are ready to take over on their own the challenge of maintaining law and order," he told Le Figaro, adding international splits should not rebound on Iraq.

Discussions should focus "not on the drawing up of a timetable for withdrawing American troops but on the goals that should be set for Iraqi forces so that they may continue to take over security in the regions," he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush's Republicans face possible loss of control of Congress in November7 elections, with dismay over his Iraq policy a critical factor in voter intentions.

Polls show growing numbers of voters want the 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq to start coming home.

Item 2. The difficulty of eliminating corruption and militias from the Iraqi police forces can be exasperating for the American soldiers who risk their lives day after day to train them. "We can keep getting in our Humvees every day, but nothing is going to work unless the politicians do their job and move against the militias," Moore said.

Sitting in the battalion's war room with four other members of his team, Moore estimated it would take 30 to 40 years before the Iraqi police could function properly, perhaps longer if the militia infiltration and corruption continue to increase. His colleagues nodded.

"It's very, very slow-moving," Estes said.

"No," said Sgt. 1st Class William T. King Jr., another member of the team. "It's moving in reverse." [emphasis mine]