"Iraq will close its borders with Syria and Iran for 72 hours as part of the drive to secure and pacify Baghdad," the Iraqi commander of the Baghdad Security Crackdown said Tuesday.

This is a long awaited political attempt to a political problem. For the last three or so years, the Bush administration has been trying to violently solve a problem that is only going to be solved through politics. They're taking the first step in the direction of helping the Iraqis solve their problem.

However, it has not been said when this border closing will occur and just what the details of it are. Is the border only going to be closed to those who are trying to enter, or is it going to be closed to those who trying to leave as well?

The border should be closed both ways. By closing Iraq to the outside world, the influx of terrorists from Syria and Iran will be greatly decreased: thus allowing the Iraqis to solve their own problem. The borders also need be closed from the inside as well. If Iraqis are allowed to leave, then all that they will learn is that it's okay to run from your problems when they get tough.

Another political victory that comes with this border closing is the inclusion of the Iranian border. The largely Shiite Iraqi Government has strong ties and relations with the Iranian government, and the closing of the Iranian border shows that the Iraqis are starting to realize Iran's terrorist influence in their country.

It'll be interesting to see when the borders will actually be closed, and it will also be interesting to see if the borders are closed from both the inside and the outside.