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along the Tigris. The Green Zone can be given to Sunni's moving from east to west Baghdad. Turn Bush's embassy into a hospital, rehabilitation center and orphanage for Iraqis. The Kurds have their own government. The Sunnis are out of Maliki's government. So we should offer Maliki's government the choice to stay in Baghdad alone or move to a self-defensible base in Shia territory. Set up a modest U.S. embassy there. Let local Iraqis defend themselves as necessary against Al Qaeda. A dozen countries have moved their capitals, largely under pressure of war. Thorough soft partition is a viable alternative to endless counterinsurgency protection of civilians!

Saudi Arabia is reaching peak oil production, and is filled with poor, fierce Islamists who hate the King and 5,000 princes lavishly supported by oil royalties. So it's fantasy to think the Military Energy Lobby complex is going to let our troops out of oil-rich Iraq. But U.S. troops could be redeployed to new bases in relatively underpopulated areas and re-missioned to guard Iraq's oil for an adjustment period not to exceed, say, 8 years. Enough room should be left between U.S. forces and the borders for insertion of a U.N. border guarding force. This is the only measure that will induce oil companies to invest the $billions necessary to increase Iraq's oil production and adjust to hiring mercenaries to guard its infrastructure. All U.S. troops out in 8 years (two presidential terms)! An enhanced SIGIR might be trusted for that time to distribute profits equitably to all Iraqis. A large U.N border force is the only thing that could keep Iraq one federated country, let unarmed refugees return and keep us and the Iranians apart. The U.N. performed poorly for Iraqis under sanctions, partly because the U.S. and U.K. blocked shipment of any dual use exports to Iraq and because Iraq's oil was irresistible to corrupt oil dealers. But it's the only game in town where you can rent developing country soldiers, through peace keeping peace enforcement programs, for about $1,000 per month. That's about what it costs for a U.S. soldier with combat support for one day! And of course, Blackwater mercenaries are paid 4 to 6 times what U.S. soldiers are paid. The U.S. should pay for this force to keep Iraq "one" country. In the long run it will be cheaper than combat and paying mercenaries. We could allow U.S. air support for attacked U.N. And U.S. troops so long as its ordinance only falls within the borders of Iraq. The

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