This is the government our troops are being kept in Iraq and being shot at and killed so the Iraqi Government would be given the time to resolve the many issues preventing an end to the sectarian violence. Look at how they are doing their part:

Iraqi Parliament Adjourns for August
July 30, 2007 2:30 PM EDT
BAGHDAD - Iraq's parliament on Monday shrugged off U.S. criticism and adjourned for a month, as key lawmakers declared there was no point waiting any longer for the prime minister to deliver Washington-demanded benchmark legislation for their vote.

Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani closed the final three-hour session without a quorum present and declared lawmakers would not reconvene until Sept. 4. That date is just 11 days before the top U.S. military and political officials in Iraq must report to Congress on American progress in taming violence and organizing conditions for sectarian reconciliation.

The recess, coupled with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's failure to get the key draft laws before legislators, may nourish growing opposition to the war among U.S. lawmakers, who could refuse to fund it.

Critics have questioned how Iraqi legislators could take a summer break while U.S. forces are fighting and dying to create conditions under which important laws could be passed in the service of ending sectarian political divisions and bloodshed.

But in leaving parliament, many lawmakers blamed al-Maliki. The man Bush supports!

keep it up, Col Gene. You'll end up having an argument with yourself eventually!

also according to fox news and the troops on the ground. violence has been dropping over the last 6 months. kind of different than what you have been saying isnt it. that is the number of attacks are down 33%

Reply By: danielost Posted: Monday, July 30, 2007
“Also according to fox news and the troops on the ground. Violence has been dropping over the last 6 months. Kind of different than what you have been saying isn’t it. That is the number of attacks are down 33%”

I believe that is true because we are applying more military force. However, there is NO indication that just as soon as our troops relocate to another area within Iraq or leave the country that the violence will nor return. The reason the Surge is not the answer is because what is causing the sectarian violence has not been resolved. The Shea still hate the Sunni. The Sunni still hate the Shea and the Iraqi Government is doing NOTHING to resolve the basic differences that will end the violence. This is “Whack a Mole” and when we stop hitting the moles they will pop up again. The solution to the majority of the violence which is the sectarian conflict has not moved one inch closer to a settlement. Now the Iraqi Government is on vacation which insures NOTHING will change before the September report.

Petraeus may be able to show fewer attacks but as to dealing with the reason for the attacks or insuring they will not return as soon as we remove the pressure, neither Neither Crocker nor Petraeus will be able to show that is the case. We need to turn the fighting in all areas except against al-Qaeda over to the Iraqi Military and police. That is the change in policy that needs to be made in Iraq.

your right but the soccer win shows that it isn't too far off for peace

Reply By: danielost Posted: Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Your right but the soccer win shows that it isn't too far off for peace

I hope you are correct. However, keeping 160,000 U.S. Troops who are mostly involved with sectarian violence will not solve the problem. It is time for the Iraqi People to either learn to live together or fight it out!

We need to reduce the level of U.S. Forces in Iraq and concentrate of destroying al-Qaeda in Iraq.

This is WHY the Surge will not solve the problem in Iraq:

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
July 31, 2007 6:56 AM EDT
BAGHDAD - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces a revolt within his party by factions that want him out as Iraqi leader, according to officials in his office and the political party he leads.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari, al-Maliki's predecessor, leads the challenge and already has approached leaders of the country's two main Kurdish parties, parliament's two Sunni Arab blocs and lawmakers loyal to powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr