It would certainly be much easier if we could just do everything we wanted in Iraq with no consideration given to local political conditions, but that’s not possible. If we tried to do that, we’d probably be facing an even bigger insurgency, and the forces of al Qaeda and the Sunni extremists would have even more popular support than they do now and therefore be harder to extricate and defeat. You need to try to separate them from their base of support in the population and you need legitimately constituted Iraqi authorities to help do that. It’s always a balancing act, though, and maybe we’ve been too deferential to the Maliki government, but it won’t do to wish away the balancing act altogether.