Matt Yglesias uncovers another fundamental quandry presented by the "surge": The Iraqi Prime Minister doesn't like Gen. Petraeus, especially when he's arming Sunni militias and insurgents, but the American government does like Petraeus and his methods making it even harder to explain what we're doing or why we're staying. 

Frankly, I think Matt should have ended the piece with the line, "Which is why our next step is pushing for the removal of al-Maliki as Prime Minister" and it would come closer to what is likely to happen in the next year or so.