Lukasiak asks a very good set of questions over in the comments at BD:

Here’s a question…..

who, precisely, is in charge in Iraq? Who is tasked with keeping all the balls in the air, making sure that none are dropped? Who gets to decide when a military mission that the generals think is necessary will create too many problems for political stability for instance?

I don’t know…..and I kinda think I should know. I recall when Rice was NSA, she was put in charge…..but she’s at State now, and doesn’t seem terribly engaged in the day to day in Iraq.

So who is in charge?

You know, I think I ought to know, too. Obviously the answer is going to be Abizaid and the members of his command staff tasked with worrying about these things. No doubt these guys are competent people, and a meddlesome White House isn’t necessarily a good thing. I wonder, though, whether other agencies have better experts about the local politics, including awareness of the local culture and history. If that’s the case, wouldn’t some White House coordination be a good thing?