I guess this is going to mean a less bullish United States, and possibly a Democrat president on the way. I noted about a week ago that the US had acceded to the Iraqi PM’s demand that they abandon some inflammatory military checkpoints (or was it a military operation?) in Sadr City… I don’t think this would have happened a year or so ago, and certainly various journalists are speculating that this event was a marker for changing relationship between US and Iraqi politicians.

So what does all this mean for the world? - WHOA, big question.

What does it mean for Iraq? - Also a tough one, but if I was a gambling man I’d be laying a couple of bucks on phased withdrawal of US and UK troops, with ongoing simmering violence between various Iraqi groups for a good few years to come.