Six Months

That's Maliki's timetable for taking over security from the U.S. Whatever president Bush says or does, whatever James Baker says or does, that seems to me the actual timetable. If Maliki tells the U.S. to leave in June 2007, what will Bush do? He said today:

"We're going to stay in Iraq to get the job done so long as the government wants us there."

So he's got six months. Not even ten.

(Photo of Western Baghdad yesterday by Mohammed Ameen/Reuters.)