Sunnis are sending suicide bombers against Shiites, while the latter are turfing Sunnis out of sections of Baghdad. And Madame Speaker wants to pull out all military go-betweens. That is hardly a recipe for peace.
In a meeting on Friday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other U.S. officials, Pelosi, who was on a surprise visit to Iraq, advocated that the Iraqis should seek political solutions rather than relying on a surge in U.S. troops to end the violence.
"The sooner Iraqi leaders make necessary political accommodations, including amending their constitution to resolve outstanding differences among all Iraqi communities, the better the chances for ending the sectarian violence," said a statement released by Pelosi's office after the meeting.
The U.S. forces in Iraq "should quickly begin transition from a combat role to one focused on training, counter-terrorism, force protection, and controlling Iraq's borders," it added.
Pelosi, who is known for her strong anti-war stance, arrived Saturday in Baghdad with several other senior Democratic lawmakers.
Analysts here said the visit underscored the difference between Pelosi and the Bush administration on the Iraq policy.