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<channel>
	<title>The Digital Diplomat</title>
	
	<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com</link>
	<description>Global security, governance, and economics in the digital era. By Justin Delabar.</description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:40:46 +0000</pubDate>
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	<language>en</language>
			<atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/digitaldiplomat" type="application/rss+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">digitaldiplomat</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">http://feedburner.google.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" /><item>
		<title>The Pakistani Response: Zardari’s Tightrope</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/12/02/the-pakistani-response/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/12/02/the-pakistani-response/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:42:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pakistan-India Relations]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Asif Ali Zardari]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[india]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lashkar-e-Taiba]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nawaz Sharif]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[pakistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PMN (N)]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PPP]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/?p=141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari today spoke out about the Mumbai attacks, assuring the world that his government is in no way responsible for the massacre despite India&#8217;s claims that the attackers hailed from his country:
&#8220;I think these are stateless actors who have been operating all throughout the region,&#8221; Zardari said on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;Larry King [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/12/02/the-pakistani-response/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Maliki His Own Man?</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/29/is-maliki-his-own-man/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/29/is-maliki-his-own-man/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:35:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Maliki]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[SIIC]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[SOFA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/?p=133</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Robert Dreyfuss believes that Maliki pushed ahead with the Status of Forces Agreement because he was given the implicit go-ahead by Iran.  Perhaps that would explain why he was so amendable to accepting the Sunni bloc&#8217;s  demands for re-visiting the Iraqi constitution and placing the agreement up for national referendum &#8212; if Iran was content [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/29/is-maliki-his-own-man/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>India’s True Test Begins</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/29/indias-true-test-begins/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/29/indias-true-test-begins/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:02:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Asia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[india]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[isi]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[pakistan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/?p=117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It seems that the Mumbai terrorist siege has finally come to an end, 170+ casualties later. There have been many conflicting reports about the origins of the terrorist organization that perpetrated the attacks, but the narrative that has risen to the surface is the possible involvement of the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Whether or not this is the case, it certainly ratchets up tensions between Pakistan and India, muddying what had been promising attempts at a sustainable peace. The question now becomes: what next for India?]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Unbearable Lightness of Being Nouri al-Maliki</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/28/the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-nouri-al-maliki/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/28/the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-nouri-al-maliki/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:38:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Mahdi Army]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Maliki]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Muqtada al-Sadr]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[SIIC]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[SOFA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/?p=94</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nouri al-Maliki has achieved what once would have seemed impossible for him: a Status of Forces Agreement with the United States that meets the vast majority of his demands. Just two years ago, Maliki was chosen as a weak consensus Prime Minister meant to satiate the demands of Muqtada al-Sadr's followers while disallowing the overly powerful Suprme Islamic Iraqi Council even greater power. Today, al-Maliki is easily the most powerful politician in Iraq, with some suggesting his strength could reach almost dictatorial levels.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/11/28/the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-nouri-al-maliki/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ahmadinejad’s Gamble</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/01/08/ahmadinejads-gamble/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/01/08/ahmadinejads-gamble/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:42:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2008/01/08/ahmadinejads-gamble/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Eric Martin notes an excellent article by Nazila Fathi in the New York Times discussing what appears to be a widening rift between Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:
In the past, when Mr. Ahmadinejad was attacked by his political opponents, criticisms were usually silenced by Ayatollah Khamenei, who has the final [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Not-So-Modest Proposal: A Solution for Iraq, Part III</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/09/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-iii/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/09/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-iii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:21:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/09/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-iii/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the United States mired in Iraq, Iran finds itself in an extremely powerful position. Its influence over the Shi’a parties in Iraq allots it the ability to directly affect the outcomes of the American mission in the country. The SCIRI is particularly close to Iran, as it took refuge under the Islamic Republic during [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/09/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-iii/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Not-So-Modest Proposal: A Solution for Iraq, Part II</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/07/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/07/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/07/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Military power plays a vital role in Iraq – in actuality, it plays a number of roles currently, which is at the root of the problem. Military force should only be used in order to attain military goals, generally being either the attainment or defense of  territory, and/or the destruction of enemy forces. In [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/07/a-not-so-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Not-So-Modest Proposal: A Solution for Iraq, Part I</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/06/a-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-i/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/06/a-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-i/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 04:18:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/06/a-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-i/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Iraq, originally cobbled together by acts of the British Empire after centuries of Ottoman rule as three, ethnically-separated governates, is experiencing the severe pangs of nationalism in the form of a bloody civil war. The Kurds, Shi’a, and Sunni are re-enforcing their regional boundaries as sectarian violence continues throughout the country, forcing even those who [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/06/a-modest-proposal-a-solution-for-iraq-part-i/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Syrian Situation</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/the-syrian-situation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/the-syrian-situation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:40:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/the-syrian-situation/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Syria is feeling the great strain of absorbing tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees:
Syria, the last Arab country welcoming large numbers of Iraqi refugees, is now all but closing the gates and leaving 40,000 Iraqis who flee their country each month with almost no place to go.
&#8230;
Syria kept its doors open even after others, including [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Maliki Mum on Iraqi Torture</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/maliki-mum-on-iraqi-torture/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/maliki-mum-on-iraqi-torture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:51:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/maliki-mum-on-iraqi-torture/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unfortunately, this isn&#8217;t overly surprising:
Iraqi special forces and British troops stormed the offices of an Iraqi government intelligence agency in the southern city of Basra on Sunday, and British officials said they discovered about 30 prisoners, some showing signs of torture.

What is surprising is exactly how enfeebled Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki is: he cannot even [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Comments Update</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/comments-update/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/comments-update/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 03:57:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/comments-update/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A quick note to announce that comments can only be posted after one creates a user account. Apologies for this, but after deleting 1,500 spam comments from the moderation queue today I&#8217;m left with no other option.
]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Khalizad and Allawi Work On Their Dream Scenario</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/us-and-allawi-work-on-their-dream-scenario/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/us-and-allawi-work-on-their-dream-scenario/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 01:38:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2007/03/04/us-and-allawi-work-on-their-dream-scenario/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The latest on Iyad Allawi&#8217;s plan to re-take Iraq via Prof. Cole:
Al-Hayat reports that Iyad Allawi, a secular ex-Baathist Shiite who leads the Iraqi National List (25 seats in parliament), visited Kurdistan on Saturday. He is attempting to convince the Kurdistan Alliance to join his new coalition in parliament. Allawi has said that his list [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ethiopian Troops Mass in Somalia</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/25/ethiopian-troops-mass-in-somalia/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/25/ethiopian-troops-mass-in-somalia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:39:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/25/ethiopian-troops-mass-in-somalia/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The situation in Somalia, where the Islamic Courts Union has overtaken the majority of the country, is set to worsen with the introduction of Ethopian troops. The troops have made Baidoa, the only town still controlled by the transitional government, their base of operations:
The standoff is between the transitional federal government, which has U.N. recognition [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Sadr Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/24/the-sadr-plan/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/24/the-sadr-plan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 06:18:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/24/the-sadr-plan/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Muqtada al-Sadr&#8217;s power grab strategy in the wake of massive sectarian clashes within Sadr City is clear. The first part concerns his allies in the cabinet, who have threatened to quit the government if Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki meets with President Bush in Jordan next week:
Describing Bush as &#8220;the killer of Iraqi people,&#8221; politicians aligned [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Iraq Goes Boom</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/iraq-goes-boom-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/iraq-goes-boom-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Nov 2006 06:55:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/iraq-goes-boom-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sadr City in Baghdad was hit by several car bombs in a sophisticated attack today, killing 160 Iraqis. Details from the  New York Sun:
Iraq sealed its borders last night and braced for a deadly onslaught of sectarian retaliation after Sunni extremists murdered at least 160 people in coordinated car bombings and mortar attacks in [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Future of Basra</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/the-future-of-basra-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/the-future-of-basra-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:01:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/the-future-of-basra-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The BBC is reporting on a potential spring pullout of British troops from Basra:
The UK has &#8220;confidence&#8221; it may be able to hand Basra&#8217;s security to Iraqi forces &#8220;at some point next spring&#8221;, the UK&#8217;s Foreign Secretary has said.
Margaret Beckett told MPs Iraq&#8217;s fate was &#8220;hanging in the balance&#8221; and said it was necessary &#8220;to [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Section: Essays</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/new-section-essays/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/new-section-essays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Nov 2006 01:55:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/new-section-essays/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve uploaded a couple of my extended writings to the new Essays section. More should be coming shortly.
]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Migration in the Post-9/11 Era</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/migration-in-the-post-911-era/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/migration-in-the-post-911-era/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Nov 2006 01:34:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/23/migration-in-the-post-911-era/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Migration has increasingly become a hot button issue in the era of globalization. As economics forces countries to become more open, the barriers separating states and their people have lessened, and in some as  cases been completely lifted. The European Union pursues a policy of open borders between its member states, while the countries of the NAFTA region restrict border access with varying degrees of success. For free trade to be effective, access to countries has to be fairly easy to gain, although this has raised a number of security concerns in a world threatened by terrorism. Also, migrant workers tend to fill large gaps within their new countries' workforce populations, making them invaluable. However, the massive influx of migrant workers into Europe have highlighted cultural assimilation problems that open borders are incapable of repairing. ]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>As the Levant Turns… Into Cinders</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/21/as-the-levant-turns-into-cinders/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/21/as-the-levant-turns-into-cinders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2006 05:45:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
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		<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[There are a couple major things happening this week on the Syrian front in the Long War. First, Damascus has officially normalized diplomatic relations with Iraq. It might seem like a surprising turn of events, but it really shouldn&#8217;t be. The secular Syrian and religious Iraqi governments both are interested in repressing Islamist (read: Sunni) [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Withdrawal: Setting the Tone</title>
		<link>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/21/withdrawal-setting-the-tone/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/21/withdrawal-setting-the-tone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Nov 2006 03:22:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Justin Delabar</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Iraq]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thedigitaldiplomat.com/2006/11/21/withdrawal-setting-the-tone/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ezra Klein on the Bush administration&#8217;s reluctance to withdraw from Iraq:
The question, of course, is why we don&#8217;t [withdraw from Iraq]. What&#8217;s the compelling national interest in occupying a country that deplores our presence? That murders our soldiers? That depletes our treasury? That shows no sign, hint, or hope of molding itself to our desires?
There [...]]]></description>
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