This Associated Press story is only interesting if you don't consider the context.

It basically says that the Iraqi government is busy lobbying U.S. lawmakers to make sure they don't pull out. What it doesn't say is that a majority of the Iraqi parliament this week signed a petition calling for the withdraw of U.S. troops.

Kinda puts that lobbying effort in perspective, doesn't it?

If a majority of the parliament, backed by a wide majority of the population of Iraq, want American troops out, it sort of begs the question of why are we even debating staying?

What those Iraqis know is that it's the presence of U.S. troops that is inflaming the situation.