People don't talk about this, because it's embarrassing

Some of what's been happening with regard to the improvement in al-Anbar has been behind the scenes big Saudi money and Jordanian interventions of various sorts.... If they can do that now, they can do that after the US troops are out, and in fact, US troops had almost nothing to do with the changed situation in al-Anbar.

Juan Cole, [whose walls look like mine] in a Sept 18 interview with Josh Marshall. I assume Dr Cole is referring to the recent improvements in Anbar province that Petraeus was touting.


Hmmm, speaking of Jordan and Iran....