Martial Law on Wednesday in Iraq

Tom Brokaw reports on Meet the Press from Baghdad that martial law is a real possibility for certain areas in Iraq after the official transfer of authority takes place this Wednesday.

Reporting on the internal power struggles within the war torn country, Iraq was characterized by it’s tribal, ethnic, religious and social divisions, and how these clashing ideologies almost guarantee continued violence and insurrection in the foreseeable future.

With only 130,000 plus military personnel in Iraq, US forces are “spread thin” and remain vulnerable to continued attacks, in what was described as a virtual “swamp of violence”. Already talk has surfaced about postponing general elections in Iraq until the social unrest which ripples freely across the country today can be contained.

A senior military officer is quoted, “Hope is not a strategy”. But Brokaw reports that local authorities remain hopeful for the future of their country. They are not ready to maintain security today, and might require as much as a year to meet internal security needs. With many military personnel already on extended tours of duty, the security of Iraq will remain in US hands for at least that long.

NBC News Meet the Press