I wish this was part of a psychological operation but sadly, I fear it is not:

As sectarian violence soars, many Sunni Arab political and religious leaders once staunchly opposed to the American presence here are now saying they need American troops to protect them from the rampages of Shiite militias and Shiite-run government forces.

The pleas from the Sunni Arab leaders have been growing in intensity since an eruption of sectarian bloodletting in February, but they have reached a new pitch in recent days as Shiite militiamen have brazenly shot dead groups of Sunni civilians in broad daylight in Baghdad and other mixed areas of central Iraq.

The Sunnis also view the Americans as a “bulwark against Iranian actions here,” a senior American diplomat said. Sunni politicians have made their viewpoints known to the Americans through informal discussions in recent weeks.

The Sunni Arab leaders say they have no newfound love for the Americans. Many say they still sympathize with the insurgency and despise the Bush administration and the fact that the invasion has helped strengthen the power of neighboring Iran, which backs the ruling Shiite parties.

But the Sunni leaders have dropped demands for a quick withdrawal of American troops. Many now ask for little more than a timetable. A few Sunni leaders even say they want more American soldiers on the ground to help contain the widening chaos.

It’s not that I don’t think Dexter Filkins has occassionally done pieces (wittingly or unwittingly) that were largely drawn up by military intelligence. He clearly has, in my opinion. Yet, in this case, his article makes sense. We have trained and equipped a largely Shiite internal security force. Now we are being asked to stay to prevent that force from committing atrocities.

Some people have been critical of me for merely pointing out that a withdrawal is likely to result in a grave humanitarian crisis and massive sectarian cleansing. I point it out because, if saving lives is our number one priority, a quick withdrawal is not necessarily our best option.

I still believe that we have passed the tipping point and that we cannot reverse the disaster in Iraq. Staying, at this point, will only further bankrupt our country, while involving our troops in more unspeakable situations and behavior that will further erode our moral standing in the world.

But we cannot ignore the Sunni’s pleas. We should convene some kind of conference of regional players and work with the United Nations to find innovative solutions. If there is a way to prevent a near genocide in Iraq, we need to make that our top priority. But staying in Iraq indefinitely, working to prop up the very government that is carrying out that near genocide (or, at least, is powerless to stop it) it not an option. Think about it. It is really not an option.