My friend Dr. iRack surveys the timetable for U.S. withdrawal and notices a pretty important convergence: June 2009. By that point, the U.S. is supposed to be both out of Iraqi cities and, say the Doctor’s sources, relinquished the Sons of Iraq program — much hated by the Shiite government — over to the Iraqis. What’s that mean? Doctor:

 

This means the Maliki government will be free to employ them if they so desire or, more likely, fire them, detain them, or use all that biometric and biographical information we’ve collected to do whatever else they see fit with them. Given the fact that Maliki and his allies hate these guys and, according to a recent interview with General Petraeus, the Iraqi government is purposefully slowing the integration process down, it is unlikely that Maliki and his buddies will be generous once they are in complete control of the program. And if recent behavior in Diyala and the newly reported crack down on SoIs in Abu Ghraib are any indication, things could get ugly.

Again, this all goes back to the "assertiveness" of Maliki. If what Dr. iRack writes is borne out, Maliki believes he really can take on all comers and win. The Sons of Iraq are not going to take their extirpation lying down.