just because we are the host: daniel serwer? guest: i think, in his own way, prime minister maliki is trying to say exactly that. he is trying to say, this is a matter of rule of law that has to be settled in the courts, it cannot be settled by politics. the trouble is that it looks very sectarian to the population of sunnis in iraq. maliki is not winning this argument yet. he may in the end win it. he may get a court to try -- it is hard for me to picture, but that is a possibility. i do not think the sunni population of iraq is going to feel good about seeing their vice president, their highest- ranking leader in the government, on trial in an iraqi court, especially in baghdad, which is now dominated by shia. i think we have a real problem. host: we're talking about issues surrounding the role the state department and what, if any, influence iran will have in iraq. peter calling from st. louis, missouri. caller: good morning. i'm calling to ask for follow-up to an answer you give a caller earlier about accountability for lead

troops have left the country with daniel serwer of the middle east institute.ey crouch about his latest book, "the presidential pardon power." that's live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. >> midland high school students, for this year's c-span student cam video competition, we want to you tell us what part of the constitution has meaning to you and why. let us know in a five to eight-minute documentary and get it to c-span by january 20, 2012, less than a month away, for your chance to win the grand prize. there's $50,000 in total prizes. the video documentary competition is open to students grade six through 12. so for complete details, go online to studentcam.org. >> david callahan and the ayn rand center recently faced off in a debate on the role of government. it was hosted by town hall seattle. it was called a tool used to aid brooks. they counter that wealth disparity is good because it's a product of freedom. their debate is just over an hour and a half. >> the topic of tonight's debate is government, what is the proper role. it's moderated by former