Note the look of bemused incredulity on the faces of Iraqi PM al-Maliki and his aides.
They're not sure what to think. Traditional Arab customs of hospitality demand that they not laugh the man out of town, but it's not everyday that they come face to face with such woefully misguided thinking.
Kerry thinks he can come and lecture them on what they "must" do?
And if they do as they're told Kerry will permit them into discussions about Syria's future?
Both Kerry's visit and the New York Times' coverage thereof reek of the same hubris that lead the US into their disastrous Iraq adventure in the first place. The embassy where Kerry met the Iraqi delegation stands as a monument to that hubris.
Almost a billion dollars to build and billions more to guard and maintain, the edifice now houses about a third of the staff it was designed for.
It will remain a testament to American overreach long after its inhabitants have moved to more modest accommodations and the Iraqis re-purpose it as something useful.
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