Iraq reconsidered

It's 3 am and I just finished George Packer's account of the pre- and current periods of the Iraq war and occupation/rebuilding process. The book is a masterpiece of journalistic reporting, with its unflinching look at the failures of the Bush administration to plan or execute the war in a manner that was best for the American or Iraqi people. Throughout the pages, as he spends time with grieving fathers, courageous soldiers, and policy makers, Packer weaves tales of hubris, ignorance, and hope. But one thing he leaves untouched at the end is judgment on the war. He condemns the execution of the post-war plan, but leaves the reader with a final quote from the idealistic Kanan Makiya: "I think it was Ahmad who once said of me that I embody the triumph of hope over experience." I'd like to now declare this post an open thread for discussion of Iraq as it stands today. Where are we going, where have we been, and what do you see in Iraq's future?

DISCUSS.