There are signs of enough stability to allow a quick withdrawal of American and British forces without our men being overwhelmingly attacked by rogue forces on the way out. And with Maliki essentially endorsing the Obama 16 month withdrawal plan, this is a window of opportunity we should take advantage of and wave goodbye to Iraq.

New Duranty: BAGHDAD — Iraqi lawmakers cleared an important hurdle on Saturday by approving the appointment of six Sunni cabinet ministers after a yearlong boycott by the Sunni political bloc.

Also on Saturday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain made an unannounced visit to Iraq. He held talks with senior Iraqi officials in Baghdad, including Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani, and then flew to the southern city of Basra to meet with British troops.

The Sunni ministers approved by Parliament were all members of Tawafiq, the largest Sunni bloc, which had been boycotting Mr. Maliki’s government since last August. The return of Tawafiq is a significant political victory for Mr. Maliki, who has been trying to cement his reputation as a national leader who transcends sectarian lines.

Sunni participation in the Iraqi government has been an important goal for the United States, and the return of the Sunni bloc will be seen as progress in an otherwise bumpy political reconciliation process...