On a Silver Platter


Iran president Ahmadinejad got a first-hand progress report on his country's future client state:

Ahmadinejad is the first Iranian president to visit Iraq, and his two-day trip highlighted one of the unintended consequences for Washington after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the Iraq that ousted Saddam Hussein from power.

Ya think?

And of course you've gotta appreciate the sheer irony of it all: Ahmadinejad can make an offical, announced state visit, including signing trade and industry agreements...while Team Bush is forced to slink in and out on surprise visits, often under cover of darkness, and always with massive security.

Well, I guess that's the "success" of the surge: doing what they can to secure Iranian interests.