From the article: Iraqi Elections: Results, Issues and Backgrounders
Iraqi democracy is a fragile thing. It may not even be much of a democracy as Iraqi Prime Minister Nur al Maliki continues quietly to strengthen his power and nurture close ties with internal security forces. American forces are scheduled to leave Iraq by September 2010. Yet the country's fundamental political issues--sharing of power and sharing of oil and gas resources between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds--have not been resolved. American tanks managed to tamp down the violence the same American tanks gave rise to with the invasion of 2003. Will the withdrawal of those same tanks now prevent Iraq's return to violence?