Another plea for Iraqi progress

Because toothless deadlines have worked so well in the past.....

The top American military commander for the Middle East has warned Iraq’s prime minister in a closed-door conversation that the Iraqi government needs to make tangible political progress by next month to counter the growing tide of opposition to the war in Congress.

Look, Maliki knows he has the Americans trapped in Iraq for at least the remainder of the Bush presidency. These "deadlines" are meaningless to him. He faces far larger and more direct threats from inside his own country.

And, why do Fallon and the other administration officials see this urgency as a priority? Is it because they see this act as a beginning of reconciliation, a turning point in the dynamics of the conflict?

No. It's for the report.

In the meeting, Admiral Fallon focused on Iraq’s oil law, assuming it was closest to completion. “Is it reasonable to expect it to be completed in July?” he asked. “We have to show some progress in July for the upcoming report.”

Later: (Reuters) John Negroponte held a separate "hurry up" meeting with Maliki earlier in the day.