The militia have largely been defeated, and those that remain have been told to stop by their leader Moqtada al-Sadr. In what way is that a humiliation for al-Maliki?

It hasn't escaped my attention that the media have been enjoying substantial access to the militia by way of stringers. Who could argue with the repeated scenes of balaclava clad numpties firing wildly at unseen agressors? Perhaps this accounts for the militia's favourable coverage reports wholly at odds with reality.

It hasn't my attention either that reports of the British military in Iraq not being reduced is flagged up as a failure. It is not. The British forces have provided assistance when they have been asked.(Though they should be tasked to do more) Gordon Brown's surprise announcement before last year's election that never was, that troops would be reduced, caught even Des Browne by surprise. Like so many promises before it, it was never going to happen so why the surprise when it hasn't?

Yousef, Burnley,

Give Mr Bush and Mr Blair the Noble peace prize

adam, Manchester , uk

Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, or 11/9 as we prefer to call it in the UK. The terrorists were overwhelmingly from Saudi Arabia. The whole invasion of Iraq was and continues to be a smokescreen to blur the eyes of the world from America's relationship with Saudi. Big money, big oil, Iraq = big reconstruction project for Halliburton, democracy a side-issue. Saudi a feudal monarchy 100s of years behind Iraq which needs democracy and dragging into the 20th never mind the 21st century. Israel just sits and builds illegal settlements. People are greedy. And how come we never get to hear about the hit on the Pentagon, it's always the twin towers....smokecreens everywhere people...

Ralph, Brighton,

This article is just plain wrong

David, Lyon, France

This whole Iraq war is a waste of time. It is also ultimately futile because no matter how many insurgents/terrorists/civilians you kill, the population that they spring from still lives there... and you do not. So at some point, you have to go home. And at that point, they win...

Dave from NY, Long Island, NY, US

"Have you liberals failed to learn anything from your own history and the facts as they have unfolded in Iraq?"

It's called projection. You still haven't given up on those WMDs, eh?

The reality is America has already spent half a trillion dollars for Saddam's head--and the Iranians won without firing a shot.

Shannon Jacobs, Kawasaki, Japan

Interesting perspective. However true peace is NOT the absense of war.

Cicero, San Francisco, USA

I agree with JAZ.....strong responses to lawlessness are essential......

Don't throw good money after bad.....giving $$ to the UN does not make sense. Didn't we learn from Food for Oil??

KAP, Lansdale, PA

This article is titlle tattle, why not read blogs with local input and understanding of the news: talismangate.blogspot.com tells quite a different story and is better informed from a far wider range of sources who know the language, rumours, culture and people involved in the conflict

Julian Williams, Narberth,

"Have you liberals failed to learn anything from your own history and the facts as they have unfolded in Iraq?"

Yes, we've learned that conservatives can't find their way through a garden gate when it comes to running a war.

Unfortunately, the troops have also learned the same thing -- the hard way.

Peter Principle, Topeka, Kansas

Justice is for the Iraqis to kick the US out of their country and decide what kind of government they want. As an American I believe more in justice than the illegal,immoral, unnecessary war started by a criminal government.

Bill Rowe, Campbell, USA/CA

Jaz - New York
"But what you can do is fight those who dirupt the public and hit them hard so they sue for peace. If they rise again you strike them til they stop again. Each time the period of fighting gets shorter and the periods of peace become longer until finally everyone finds it better to join the political process. "

What typical American ignorance of history. Alternatively, every time you kill one "terrorist" you immediately create 10 other potential "terrorists", and eventually you create a whole society locked into the conflict aka Northern Ireland - then eventually you are brought to the table yourself and end up putting into power those "terrorists" eg. Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness.

Your analogy seems more connected with Nazis attrocities where one act of resistance mandated the wiping out of whole viliages as they did in Russia and in France. Not suprising these days though that an Americans thought process is akin to those of WWII facists.

Stephen Callaghan, Melbourne, Australia

Its time to abandon the "Pottery Barn" mindset. We have paid for this piece of pottery many times over. It is no longer our fight, and no longer our responsibility. Leave Iraq for the Iraquis. If they want to kill each other, then more stupid them. I dont see how staying is going to improve an already destroyed country. Its a tragic loss, but it cant be improved by staying the course.

Photty, Gig Harbor, WA, USA

I can't really make sense of this article. I'm probably missing something, but how do you figure that he lost when the the side that was attacked "melted away" and abandoned their posts? In less euphemistic terms, we call that "retreating."

Ubershaman, San Francisco Bay Area, USA

"Nouri al-Maliki humiliated as gamble to crush Shia militias fail"

Obviously this suggests that we must stay there and not even think about pulling out. Bush wins again.

jayil, london, uk

What a simple view it is of what is going on. Have you liberals failed to learn anything from your own history and the facts as they have unfolded in Iraq?

In the British/Irish conflict nothing was gained by Michael Collins trying to wipe out the Republicans. The same applies to Maliki and the Sadr crowd. You can't "crush" your citizenry.

But what you can do is fight those who dirupt the public and hit them hard so they sue for peace. If they rise again you strike them til they stop again. Each time the period of fighting gets shorter and the periods of peace become longer until finally everyone finds it better to join the political process.

This fantasy that a democracy is built by "crushing" the enemy in one swift go is just plain ignorant.

Democracy comes slowly with firm responses against those who would disrupt the peace of the majority. And it can only come with allies who are willing to stand by you as you become a sovereign democracy.

JAZ, New York, New York

Maybe the US would be better off diverting funds spent on keeping the Army in Iraq to the UN so that a multinational peacekeeping and rebuilding program can develop.
The mess in Iraq is lasting longer than the US involvement in World War II and something new needs to be tried.
The US poured huge funds into supporting the rehabilitation of a country that preemptively attacked the US, supported suicide bombings and vowed to fight to the death. That country was of course Japan, and every dollar spent under the Marshall Plan was creating a strong ally without costing the blood of ordinary soldiers and civilians.
What is unsolveable now will stay that way if the solution stays the same.

peter, newcastle, Australia

All I can say is that the Bush like a brat opened many cans of worms and pour it out, and show the world what a bully he is
lying to get what Cheny wants.

Taeng, bangkok, thailand