Ron -

There is no proof that Bush wants a puppet but as the article above confirms, I am not the only one who thinks that Bush will try to replace Maliki with Allawi. He needs Allawi to carry out his plans.

With the recent 'news' of confessions, made under torture, regarding terrorist targets, I would think that is all Bush needs to convince the public that he needs more troops for his war on terror. He'll put more troops in Iraq (including international troops for reconstruction and peace-keeping) which will provide a base of operation for his future attack on Iran.

Hillary will be elected and carry on in the name of security and prosperity for the U.S.A. She will be hailed as a champion for the rights of women in Iran, democracy in Iraq, and protector of Israel.

Its my opinion, of course, and there is no proof for future events but based on what I've seen so far, it is a possibility. I wish I could be optimistic and say that the U.S. will bring its troops home but I think that is very unlikely.