It's a little early to celebrate, as we don't know if there actually is an agreement between the Iraqi government and one of the largest insurgent groups, but I think it's pretty clear that the Iraqis know (and have always known) that if the US withdraws, they will enter a bloodbath.

Hopefully Congress will get the message.

Thinking about the miners trapped in Utah for the last two weeks, I can't help but wonder if Mars Rover-style autonomous robots might be used in future rescues.