Iraq's Decision, Not Ours

Eric Martin argues that you can't ignore Iraqi sovereignty in order to protect Iraq's democracy:

It is quite possible that the Iraqi government will request that between 5,000-10,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq [past] the SOFA deadline in a training/advisory role.  In fact, I'd say the odds are better than even.  But a large scale presence is unlikely. And, most importantly, any such limited or large scale presence will be as dependent on Iraqi decisions as U.S. willingness - not based solely on the reluctance of U.S. military personnel to give up their position, and their whisperings in the U.S. President's ear.

Here's hoping. Please kick us out, guys.