After three years, half a trillion dollars, over 650,000 dead (Iraqis and Americans), and untold physical destruction, this is what we get -IRAQ’S fragile democracy, weakened by mounting chaos and a rapidly rising death toll, is being challenged by calls for the formation of a hardline “government of national salvation”.

The proposal, which is being widely discussed in political and intelligence circles in Baghdad, is to replace the Shi’ite-led government of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, with a regime capable of imposing order and confronting the sectarian militias leading the country to the brink of civil war.

Dr Saleh al-Mutlak, a prominent Sunni politician, travelled to Arab capitals last week seeking support for the replacement of the present government with a group of five strongmen who would impose martial law and either dissolve parliament or halt its participation in day-to-day government.This is not a done deal, just one initiative among many, but it would be the simplest to execute -- much quicker and cleaner than the rumored three-state partition plan of the Baker commission. At this point, Bush would probably take any way out of the nightmare he has created, leaving Karl Rove to put a positive spin on it.Other Iraqis dismissed the idea that a unilateral change in the leadership would be desirable or even possible. “The only person who can undertake a coup in Iraq now is General George Casey (the US commander) and I don’t think the Americans are inclined to go in that direction,” said Ahmed Chalabi, head of
a rival political party.I see. "Unilateral change in the leadership" means one that Chalabi isn't a part of. Anthony Cordesman answers this objection:“Nobody in Iraq has the military power to mount a traditional coup, but there could be a change in government, done in a backroom, which could see a general brought in to run the ministry of defence or the interior,” Cordesman said. “It could be regarded as a more legitimate government than the present one as long it doesn’t favour one faction.” Backroom deals are just what we specialize in.

Bush will merely have to amend his comments about how much Iraqis love liberty - it turns out they love security more.