Has Washington's bubble of optimism about the United States' progress in Iraq been punctured? The signs were there when General David Petraeus, announced a 45-day halt to troop withdrawals from July during highly charged hearings in the Senate in which he faced questions from all three contenders to replace Bush: John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
The hearings showed the deep divide on Iraq between McCain, who favours keeping troops in Iraq until security is established, and the two Democrats, who have sought early withdrawal.
