An Obama reality check, what were his campaign promises? To pull out a Brigade a month and have the US out of Iraq quick. The last estimate I heard was 2011.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/186716
*Part* of the strategic reason for going into Iraq in the first place, was to contain Iran (the Islamic revolution of 1979 is still valid and their ultimate goal is an Islamic world order). One reason for not putting to many forces into Afghanistan was it is in the fallout zone, if Iran's nuclear facilities are bombed. Putting U.S. forces at risk of excessive Rem exposure. You have to remember it's not only the nukes, but the fallout from the Iranian nuclear facilities we have to worry about (remember Chernobyl).
A quote from an unlikely source (Greenpeace), but likely half accurate.
"We estimate that within 48 hours... over 3 million people would die as a result of the attack. About half of those would die from radiation-related causes, either prompt casualties from the immediate radiation effects of the bomb, or from exposure to fallout. For example, the entire city of Isfahan would likely be covered in fallout producing 1000 rems of radiation per hour, a fatal dose. Over 600,000 people would suffer immediate injuries...
...within 48 hours, prevailing winds would spread fallout to cover a large area in Iran, most of Afghanistan and then spread on into Pakistan and India. There is little likelihood, in most seasons, that rain would mitigate the spread of fallout.
In this scenario, over 35 million people in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India would suffer significant radiation exposure of 1 rem per hour or above within four days.."
Something I've been thinking about since before the Iraqi invasion, was the fallout spread if Iran has to be nuked.
The "Saladin" movement that was ripe and gaining momentum in Europe (mostly instigated by Sadam), mostly shriveled after Iraq fell (pretty darned quick actually). The Radical Islamic revolutionaries have mostly been on the defensive since the invasion of Afghanistan. Even the Wahhabi movement has lost ground. Most all where instigated by and slightly different flavors of the Islamic revolution that started in Iran.
Pulling out of Iraq is a strategic blunder Pelosi may be willing to make, but hopefully Obama is smarter than that. He seems to be back pedaling pretty fast from the drawdown timetable, not by months but by years.