David Ignatius sees glimmers that may merit cautious optimism. The prospect of civil war may have been the one indispensable goad to Iraq’s leaders to get serious about a national unity government. Money quote:
"One seeming obstacle to unity has been fear about the role of Iran. To finesse that issue, [Shiite leader Abdul Aziz] al-Hakim said he is urging Iran to talk with the United States about Iraq’s political future. Khalilzad himself has been quietly exploring what he calls the "modalities" for such U.S.-Iran talks on Iraq."
And then today, we find that some elements in Iran’s government have responded to Hakim’s invitation in a positive fashion. Scott McClellan has confirmed that Zalmay Khalilzad has been authorized to negotiate with Iran solely on the issue of Iraq. It is not in Iran’s interests to see Iraq descend into civil war, and for the conflict there to broaden into a regional Shiite-Sunni conflict. And so, as I put it the other day, "sometimes the darkest days are inevitable – even necessary – before the sky ultimately clears." Here’s hoping – but still not confidently expecting – that those skies may be clearing.
The Dish 