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Originally Posted by jimbuna
It might be viewed as a step in the right direction but the real test will be when the allied troops pull out.
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Indeed. To be fair, there is progress in Iraq indeed since Patreus took over (makes you wonder how it would have been if someone like him would have led the whole thing from the very beginning). But whether or not this progress really means something or not, cannot be seen before the Allies pulled out. Iran, Al Sadr, and two or three factions more all just lie in wait and keep a low profile, waiting for the foreigners to leave.
So the real question is whether or not Iraq succeeds until pullout begins in bringing immunity to the religious groups to a wide social public, and whether or not there will be a wide public consensus in supporters of these groups to not assists them, and to resist the Iranian influence. Elections do not mean that Iran , Al Sadr et al all of a sudden have given up their ambitions and disappeared. They just wait for a better day to fight, outsitting the Americans. Of Al Sadr I could imagine that he starts to go into politics and errect a powerful stand inside of it, much like the fundamentalist AKP took over Turkey. the difference is that the AKP does not sleep with Iran, but sees Turkey as a rival to Iran.