The Political Chase

U.S. warns Iraqi government, again

Wielding his extraordinary political power, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte delivered a powerful warning to the Iraqi government yesterday. He threw down the gauntlet. Kicked sand in their faces. Instilled fear of the Almighty. There can be no doubt the Iraqi government will comply toute de suite. The All Powerful Diplomat delivered words they’ve never heard before…well, not exactly. George Bush delivered the same warning almost a year ago. Moreover, the consequences have changed.

Yesterday:

Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte, in Baghdad after a week of meetings with Iraqi provincial leaders, said Sunday that lawmakers must take advantage of the decline in daily violence in recent months to pass crucial legislation and improve basic government services.

Mr. Negroponte, a former ambassador to Iraq, said if Iraq’s sharply divided Parliament did not reach a consensus “in the near future” on matters that would improve the lives of Iraqis, it risked losing the gains in security that had come in part because of the increased number of American combat troops.

George Bush announcing the surge on January 10, 2007:

I’ve made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq’s other leaders that America’s commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people …Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this.

[Daily] life will improve, Iraqis will gain confidence in their leaders, and the government will have the breathing space it needs to make progress in other critical areas. Most of Iraq’s Sunni and Shia want to live together in peace — and reducing the violence in Baghdad will help make reconciliation possible.

According to Negroponte, if the Iraqis don’t heed his warning, they stand to lose"the gains in security that had come in part because of the increased number of American combat troops." That is substantially different than Bush’s warning that Iraq "will lose the support of the American people."

In other words, conflict and violence may rise, but ultimately America will continue to support Iraq with blood and treasure in accordance with Operation Iraq Forever, the virtual treaty Bush signed a week ago.

So, why would anyone expect Maliki to pay attention to the Deputy Secretary of State when he dismissed the President’s warning and has a new treaty to boot?