The latest news is the White House is finally asking Middle East experts that don't work at either the Pentagon or American Enterprise Institute their opinions about Iraq and other problems in the Middle East.  The article provides very little information on their advice to the President but does portray a man frustrated that the Iraqi people don't fully embrace all the "freedom" we've given them or appreciate all the money and dead Americans either.  After seeing that Baghdad's been in chaos for the last year and almost 18,000 Iraqis have been killed in the first seven months of this year alone, I too find it hard to understand why they aren't more appreciative. 

Also, it appears all the other experts who've been briefing the President before this meeting told him that a majority Shiite government in Iraq, made up of parties formed in exile in, and allied with, another majority Shiite nation, Iran, would obviously be pro-Israel and a reliable American ally at a time when Israel is attacking another Shiite political organization also formed by, and allied with, the Iranians known as Hezbollah.  Evidently these other briefers also didn't tell him Prime Minister Al-Maliki's Dawa party is a revolutionary Shiite religious party similar in organization and ideology to Hezbollah that participated in terrorist attacks on Americans in Lebanon during the 1980's and since Mr. al Maliki was one of the heads of the Dawa organization in Syria during the 80's he is probably quite familiar with Hezbollah and naturally more inclined to support them over the Israelis.  Oh well.

Congrats to the White House for finally talking to some "outside" experts even if its three or four years too late.  Unfortunately, I suspect they won't actually take any advice given into consideration.....