Grim and Grimmer

Is it really sinking with people just how bad the situation in Iraq has become?

Its hard to believe in anything occuring other than a total realignment of influence, with the United States effectively sidelined regionally, or, worse, complete collapse of civil order within Iraq, with unknowable regional consequences.

Either situation is catastrophic for the United States. Catastrophic in, perhaps, an unprecedented way. Here's a few rays of sunshine from today's papers:

This Times News Analysis lays the cards out fairly clearly. Bottom line, our ability to influence outcomes in Iraq in dwindling rapidly.

And our lede story of the day in all media: National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley says Al Maliki is irrelevant. Maureen Dowd takes a quote regarding Malekey and makes this devasting and utterly accurate observation:

Mr. Hadley bluntly mused about Mr. Malaki: “His intentions seem good when he talks with Americans, and sensitive reporting suggests he is trying to stand up to the Shi’a hierarchy and force positive change. But the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action.”
It’s bad enough to say that about the Iraqi puppet. But what about when the same is true of the American president?

The Washington Post says that influncers are starting to take a "Blame the Victims" pass to the exit door in Iraq; as an adjustment to "decalre victory and go home," this approach is more like "declare crankiness and go home."

This piece says the seemingly surreal discussion of whether Iraq is in a Civil War is less irrelevant that it might appear. Poor, good Barry McCaffrey says "if we can't be honest about the situation, we can't begin to address it." But, General, we haven't been honest about it at all...ever. That's way its a fiasco.

Meanwhile, the Iraq study group continues to study, the spectre of these poor old men and women desparately trying to get Ed Meese (Ed Meese!) to agree to anything would be funny if weren't so very pathetic.

And the President arrives in Jordan, looking confused, frightened and weak.