The worst is yet to come

"Another tiresome expert, Thomas ("Fiasco") Ricks, has patched up his original story. Earlier he had declared Iraq a failure beyond repair. Later, he changed because pretty much everyone who knows Iraq agrees that Ricks's take on the country was, well, a fiasco.

Since that book the WaPo writer has changed gears. His story now is that sure Iraq is okay now, but it will get worse. Earlier, he was sure the Iraqis themselves were the problem. Now his focus has shifted to Iran: "The role of Iran remains problematic. At this point, that country appears to be the biggest winner in the Iraq war, and perhaps in the region. 'Iran's influence will remain and probably grow stronger,' said Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency specialist in Middle Eastern security affairs. 'The Iranians have many contacts and agents of influence in Iraq, their border with Iraq is a strategic factor of permanent consequence and their role in the Iraqi economy is growing.'""
IraqPundit