A Plausible Plan B

If we were allied with an Iraqi government that, however weak, was truly national -- cross-confessional and dedicated to fighting a two-front war against Baathist insurgents and Shiite militias -- a surge of American troops, together with a change of counterinsurgency strategy, would have a good chance of succeeding. Unfortunately, the Iraqi political process has given us Nouri al-Maliki and his Shiite coalition.

Its beginning was inauspicious. Months of wrangling produced a coalition of the three major Shiite religious parties, including that of Moqtada al-Sadr. Given Maliki's legitimacy as the first democratically elected leader of Iraq, however, he was owed a grace period of, say, six months to show whether he could indeed act as a national leader.

Members of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army on parade in Sadr City, Baghdad, last year. (By Wathiq Khuzaie -- Getty Images) Cheney's Enigmatic Influence � David Ignatius | How does the most important but elusive presidential adviser in modern history use his power behind the scenes? Charles Krauthammer: A Plausible Plan B E.J. Dionne Jr.: John Edwards's Balanced Priorities Eugene Robinson: The Real State of the Union OPINIONS: Think Tank Town | On Faith | PostGlobal