Pakistan, Afghanistan, the economy and swine flu are dominating the news today, but Iraq presents challenges that aren't going away. After suicide bombings killed more than 150 people last week in Iraq, Hillary Clinton made her first visit as Secretary of State. Asked if the US has put Iraq on the back burner, she said the US is committed to seeing “a stable, sovereign, self-reliant Iraq,” but that a transition is under way. The recent violence proves that sectarian tensions remain, and the Shiite-led government is making life hard for Sunnis who've helped maintain order. As US troops begin to withdraw, the worst case scenario is civil war. If Iraqi forces can't maintain order, will the withdrawal schedule have to be revised? Would escalating violence bring in Iran, Turkey and other regional powers?
