“In a troubling sign for the American-financed rebuilding program in Iraq, inspectors for a federal oversight agency have found that in a sampling of eight projects that the United States had declared successes, seven were no longer operating as designed because of plumbing and electrical failures, lack of proper maintenance, apparent looting and expensive equipment that lay idle”. – reports the New York Times.
The reconstruction programs were designed partly to rebuild what the Army destroyed in the first place, partly to promote goodwill to the United States. Yet another Mission accomplished. 
No comment on the headline of your post, but wanted to make a note about the “mission accomplished”. Did you know that it was actually the crew of the ship that put the banner up? They were just finishing a very, very long carrier deployment and heading home. For them it was mission accomplished. The text of the president’s speech on that day did not suggest things were finished in Iraq. I’d guess his operatives in hindsight wish the banner were not hanging there, seeing now how it has been spun.
The Solution to Solving the Iraq Debacle
Everyone knows that the Iraq War is proving to be disastrous to the United States and the Global Community financially, morally, and culturally. Whether or not one agrees with the War, its motivation for its beginning, or its ultimate outcome, the simple uncontested fact is that it is now time to draw it to an end. That simple fact is something that every man, woman, and child can agree on, whatever their political predilection.
That being said, since every individual on Earth wants the War to end in a manner that involves as few casualties and economic costs than necessary, then it must become a Global Community effort to end it.
The United States and Britain can no longer sustain this War by themselves, as too many troops and too much money will be lost in a seemingly endless barrage of damming up newly-springing holes in the walls protecting against inevitable chaos.
Therefore the only conceivable solution is to divide the country of Iraq into about 50-100 quadrants. Since Iraq is approximately 437,072 sq km, this means that each and every quadrant will be roughly 4350-8741 sq km. This small amount of space would be totally manageable and easy to govern by each participating country, each of whom would contribute relatively small amounts of money and troops to keep the peace in each of their quadrants.
The costs of not contributing in this way would be far too costly to each and every nation on Earth, since the situation in Iraq threatens the National Security of every country on Earth.
Whether this plan is accomplished under the aegis of the already organized and well funded United Nations, or an ad hoc voluntary group of NGOs from each and every country, this plan will work because it is so manageable, affordable, and ultimately will help to bring Iraq under control.
Each quadrant will concurrently and simultaneously govern in different fashions, respecting human rights above all, and the most successful quadrants will then be slowly emulated by the rest of the quadrants if their form of governing works. Slowly, as stability increases, the quadrants will then be allowed to merge with one another, over time, until finally the country will be totally reunited under one Iraqi banner, but under a form of government which has been proven, over time, to work.
The most important goals of these quadrants is security, preventing death and destruction, rebuilding cities and infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and the like.
Each quadrant will literally compete to see which form of government is the best, and all of the other quadrants will be able to move in the direction of the most successful quadrants.
One National Constitution can be the country’ paramount law, with each and every quadrant functioning as an individual quadrant-state with its own rules and challenges, provided that it falls within the purview of that Constitution.
This is the only solution to getting U.S. and British troops out, and securing the nation of Iraq in the most cost-effective, painless, and secure way.
The first step must be undertaken immediately at the next Convention of the United Nations.
Robert David Merchant
New York, New York
May 11, 2007