[Ghoulish Delight]

Actually, there have been many examples in history of successful resolution to conflict coming from including our "enemies" in talks. Syria and Iran have a vested interest in a stable Iraq.

As for the report...yeah, largely fluff and easily ignored by the emperor. If anything meaningful is to be taken from it, it's simply the notion that, while specific timetables are not necessarily optimal, SOME form of goal/consequence setting must be done. We can't just say, "We'll be there until they want us to leave," because that leaves zero motivation to accomplish squat. We need to say, "Get your act together in these specific ways or else you'll suffer these specific consequences." Anything else is an open invitation to take advantage of our "generosity". And namely, those goals should include getting Iraqi forces competent and trustworthy enough to do the policing themselves, and getting the government to a point of actually talking to ALL sects of Iraqis as well as its neighbors.