A strategy for turning down the heat in Iraq.

• Author: Friedman, Thomas L.
• Position: Opinion - Brief Article

In Iraq, when Saddam Hussein toppled over like a watt, his disappearance did not leave behind a civil, society yearning to be free, united, and democratic. He left behind a pot that is boiling over--a highly tribalized society, full of pent-up problems, with few institutions of civil society or consensus leaders. The Bush team helped remove the lid off this pot. But the first rule of cooking and warfare is: Never take the lid off a boiling pot unless you also have a strategy for turning down the heat. President Bush had a lid-removing strategy only. He's been improvising on the heat part ever since. Improv time is over. Winning in Iraq is now about who has the smarts...