You know things are really bad in Iraq when Rumsfeld goes there and can’t even find anything good to say about the situation:

“We’re at a point now when the security situation depends as much on the reconciliation process and on the strengthening of (government) ministries,” Rumsfeld told reporters.

“Success in those areas will determine the success from a security standpoint. It’s as much a political task as anything.”

Maliki has offered talks with some Sunni rebels and a limited amnesty under his 24-point plan in a bid to draw Sunnis, the seat of the insurgency, closer into the political process.

Rumsfeld’s trip also comes amid growing anti-war sentiment among the U.S. public in a congressional election year. A 129,000-strong American force is serving in Iraq more than three years into the war in which about 2,500 U.S. troops have died.

The defence secretary said it was too early to talk about adjusting U.S. troop levels. “We haven’t gotten to that point.”

While Rumsfeld was visiting, more people were killed in a new rash of violence in the torn country:

Sectarian violence in Iraq continued to mount Wednesday with separate attacks that killed at least 27 people, as U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it’s too soon to talk about reducing the number of American troops in the country.

And what is even more interesting is Rumsfeld’s recognition of Iraq as a sovereign nation:

The new Iraqi government is not yet ready to decide on security issues that would determine the pace of U.S. troop reductions this year, Rumsfeld said.

Lots of sovereignty in that statement by the defense secretary. Again we are proving our role as an occupier in the nation.

So what does the Prime Minister of Iraq have to say about all this?

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iraqis on Wednesday they had one last chance for peace as U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held talks with Iraqi leaders on the escalating sectarian violence in the country.

So there you got it. The violence in Iraq is escalating while the Prime Minister calls it “one last chance for peace”. All this happens while Rumsfeld vows to keep our troops in the country, rather Iraq wants us or not, and tensions between Iraqis and American forces will escalate because of the recent rash of crimes our troops have committed against the people of Iraq.

Wow – Glad to hear things are going so well over there. I am sure the ditto-heads will spin this into a story of success and prosperity in no time.