More progress in Iraq: Iraqi president Talabani pushes back on Iraq Study Group report

An Associated Press article entitled "Iraqi president calls panel's report 'dangerous' - Talabani says Study Group's plan could undermine Iraq's sovereignty" illustrates the growing willingness of the Iraqis to establish some distance between themselves and American attempts to continue to meddle in Iraqi affairs. The article quotes Iraqi president Jalal Talabani as saying that recommendations in the Iraq Study Group report were "an insult to the people of Iraq" and that the report "is not fair, is not just, and it contains some very dangerous articles which undermine the sovereignty of Iraq and the constitution."

The article quotes Talabani as saying "If you read this report, one would think that it is written for a young, small colony that they are imposing these conditions on. ... We are a sovereign country."

It is now only a matter of time before Iraq truly asserts its sovereignty and begins dictating terms to the U.S. That would be a very good thing.

-- Jack Krupansky