In Iraq, the general idea seems to be for the US military to control Baghdad & establish order, allowing a sense of physical security to translate into political stability, and eventually spread from inside the capitol city out to the rest of the country.
It is an inside out strategy, it is not working, and it is not going to work.
Wouldn't it make sense to do the opposite, and establish an outside in strategy?
Use the US military to secure the borders. I believe General Petraeus is right, in that the first key is to stop the suicide bombers, most of whom come from other countries, especially Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and so on. In various polls, Iraqis almost unanimously dislike the foreign jihadist suicide bombers. The next most disliked faction is the US military.
If the military could secure the borders- especially the enormously long Saudi/Jordanian/Syrian border- it would drastically reduce the attacks by Salafist Jihadis, which would reduce tensions between the Shias & Sunnis. In addition, it would remove the US from the factional fighting. US troops would become much more popular with Iraqis. Rather than the complete withdrawal of US troops, which is where we are heading, this approach would permit troops to stay in Iraq with a lower profile, in a less violent role, without assuming the mantle of unwelcome occupiers. Finally, it would also give our technological edge a chance to dominate the long, porous borders, while simultaneously diminishing the chances of the conflict spreading into a regional war.
Like the saying goes, if you don't change direction, pretty soon you will end up where you are heading.