When can Iraq man up and take control?
Hopefully very soon and also when can they man up and foot part of the bill.
The only reason Iraq can enjoy some sort of surplus and an economy is because we forgave all their debt, we want to prop them up so they can eventually heal and prosper. I don't think they'll ever foot any significant part of the bill any time soon. Which to be fair, is probably only right.
Its not all bad news! Our fledgling democracy Iraq happens to be floating on a sea of oil that we can pipe through Turkey to provide an alternative to Saudi oil. It will help us circumvent and compete with Gazprom's supplies in Europe and Asia. If we bom-bom-bom bom-bom Iran, we'll probably get more, securing the USAs influence even more! My tar-black heart is skipping a beat at the very thought!

Not only will the likes of Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP get to secure a presence on Iraq's largest oil fields (the Chinese deal will look small in comparison), but they and their shareholders could also be in the minority bracket that would enjoy tax relief courtesy of McCain! At least someone can benefit from all those trillions $$$ of investment!

The world might be a wee bit fucked up in the aftermath, but we'll be able to power our cars, homes and factories for a few more decades before our children have to come up with a real alternative. Yay.