Negotiations Have Ended

President Obama will withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year, ending a long war that deeply divided the country over its origins and the American lives it consumed.

[...]

But Obama and Maliki, who have never developed much personal chemistry, failed to reach agreement on the legal status of U.S. troops who would stay in Iraq beyond Dec. 31. As a result, only a contingent of fewer than 200 Marines assigned to help protect the large U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad will remain, along with a small number of other personnel to provide training related to new military sales and other tasks.

WaPo

So, not really all US forces are being withdrawn, then eh? Without the deal on giving them immunity for anything they do, even the 200 are going to be in a tense situation. (BTW, the deal was made back when George was still in office to have all troops out by 2012, lest we think this is a feather in Obama’s cap.)

And that embassy is going to be a huge target. Huge in every sense. They might want to think about at least going into something less ostentatious and symbolic. But of course, they’d take a drubbing at home for wasting all that money setting it up.

I’m thinking the whole venture is FUBAR.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.