It's 2007 here in Iraq, and I'm transcribing interview material for a lengthy post. In the meantime, what cheerier way to commemorate 2006 than Bill Roggio's super-handy "The State of Jihad" round-up?

His section on Iraq:

Since the destruction of the Golden Dome of the Al-Askaria Mosque in Samarra, the sectarian violence has risen dramatically. After the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, command of Al-Qaeda in Iraq was passed to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, a protege of Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Qaeda is attempting to create a political front and put an Iraqi face on the insurgency. Under the leadership of of Abu Omar al-Iraqi, al-Qaeda is attempting to unite the fractious insurgent groups in the Sunni areas, and has created an umbrella political organization called the Islamic State of Iraq. Some smaller Sunni insurgent groups, along with some leaders of Iraqi tribes and have been rolled under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq, along with al-Qaeda in Iraq's Mujahideen Shura Council.

Muqtada al-Sadr and his Iranian backed Mahdi Army continue to lead the sectarian violence in Baghdad and efforts to sideline Sadr from political power have so far failed. An Iraqi government was formed after month of painful negotiations to create a ruling Shia coalition, and power was peacefully transferred. There are real concerns about the willingness of the Iraqi government of Nouri al-Maliki to disarm the Shia militias. The Iraqi Army has made significant progress in taking control of the battlespace, yet is still heavily dependent on US forces. In general, the Iraqi police has a long way to go before approaching the effectiveness of the Army. The Baghdad police are said to be riddled with militias. Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006.

Read the whole thing.

Media watching media at the Baghdad convention center.

As Greyhawk notes, manifesting on an Air Force flight is not at all the same as actually getting on a flight; it's been a challenging day of travel. Lowlight: waking up in a tent at 3AM, dusted by a fine coating of chalky powder. Tasty. Highlight: a first helicopter ride over Baghdad. Just as you've seen in countless footage, the city is a tan sprawl of squat flats punctuated by architecturally impressive monuments, government buildings and palaces.

Brief anecdotes and impressions:

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Headed out in a few minutes to manifest for a Baghdad-bound flight tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how good internet access will be, so sit tight and thanks for your patience.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Kuwait's "Not to Forget Museum," a small complex devoted to archiving the history of the Invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm and the atrocities by and ultimate fate of Saddam Hussein and his regime. This seemed like a timely place to be, given Hussein's rapidly approaching rope-dance for crimes against humanity; if some in the West blithely shrug their shoulders at the atrocities and wars of conquest endeavored by the Iraqi Baath regime, the government of Kuwait and many of its citizens do not.

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Michael Totten is publishing material from his recent trip to Lebanon:

I returned to Beirut after eight months and a hot summer war and found that the city had little changed, at least on the surface. My old neighborhood in West Beirut was intact. Civil war reconstruction continued downtown. More restaurants and pubs had opened close-in on the east side of the city. Solidere sported a brand-new Starbucks. Beirut did not appear to be reeling from war. Post-Syrian gentrification had proceeded as scheduled.

On second glance, though, all was not well. I was the only guest in my eight-story hotel, and I genuinely shocked the staff when I stepped into the lobby first thing in the morning. "Why are you still here?" one bartender asked me. Almost all my friends and even acquaintances left the country during the July War and hadn't returned. Milk was still hard to come by in grocery stores and even some restaurants because the Israeli Air Force destroyed Lebanon's milk factory. Party and sectarian flags were flown on the streets in abundance, a tell-tale sign that the post-Syrian patriotism and unity were coming apart.

All that and, you know, the private army of an enemy state was threatening to topple the government.

RTWT.

Electronic equipment comprises the lion's share of initial embed start-up costs. Some pieces and variations are optional, but Citizen Journalism 101 demands a laptop, digital voice recorder, camera and camcorder. Advanced Citizen Journalism in the Middle of Nowhere suggests a durable laptop, rbgan satellite modem and phone. The specifics:

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I've arrived in Kuwait City and will spend about 48 hours here prepping coverage and breaking in equipment before manifesting on an Air Force flight to Baghdad.

"as-Salaam Alaykum" (Roughly: "Photoshop away.")

More later, including some first impressions of a Kuwaiti mall.

*** My only response to the Rago article is "Hey, we're not all Glenn Greenwald." But this is genius.

*** The IMAO book isn't bad either, though I can't decide if it's Bush as viewed by the left and media, or right-wing wish fulfillment. I'm not sure it knows either.

*** I might write something about this subject, just because it's so annoying. Empiricism doesn't work when decisions are made using bad data. Access to valid information is crucially important.

*** And if you have any vestige of a Y chromosome you noticed this story -- but did you see this one? Of course the real question is which of them will be sent to steal Rosie's wife.

Dorkafork, Dave Price, the Ghost of Hubris and I wish you and yours a joyous Holiday Season.

Reuel Marc Gerecht doesn't like the idea of replacing Maliki, but his reasoning seems based on some flawed assumptions.

Changing the Shiite parts of the Iraqi government and quickly taking on Mr. Sadr would do nothing to end the Sunni insurgency and the holy war of foreign jihadists against the new Iraq.

In fact it might be the only thing that can. Our soldiers keep telling us the violence is primarily a political problem, as opposed to a military one. If moderate Sunnis, Kurds, and Shia band together to form a governing coalition against extremists of both Sunni and Shia stripe, then we'd have to consider that a major political step toward ending the sectarian strife.

...the sine qua non for peace in Iraq, and for a democratic future for the country, has always been unity among the Shiites. Any violent struggle between the Mahdi Army and Supreme Council could provoke anarchy throughout the entire Arab Shiite zone

Well, there's been very little indication that a purely intra-Shia civil war is even possible, let alone as likely as Reuel seems to suggest. If that were going to happen, the most likely point for it to have occurred was back when Sadr's militia was occupying Najaf. They made a lot of people very angry with that move, and there were some firefights with the Badr group at the time. The Shia have long-established mechanisms for defusing conflicts, and since then many of the Badr people have joined the ISF.

In Iraq, the United States is much weaker than in 2004.

That seems obviously wrong: we have a couple hundred thousand more ISF fighting alongside us, and the insurgents no longer hold any major cities (remember the 2004 sieges of Fallujah and Najaf?). It's been over a year since they even attempted a larger than platoon-sized battle. The elected government has a constitution and three elections on which to stake its claim to legitimacy. And the Anbar sheiks are starting to throw in with the government.

It's unclear how Prime Minister Maliki will react to any American effort to diminish Mr. Sadr. His party, Islamic Dawa, is a bundle of mostly militant contradictions. In the end, President Bush may have to ignore the prime minister if the latter sides with Mr. Sadr.

We can just ignore the wishes of the democratically elected leader of the country? We are not an imperial power and they are not a vassal state; we don't get to just toss aside their leaders when they displease us, and the notion that we could or would is frankly appalling -- it's exactly the sort of thing Chomskyites are always accusing us of, not to mention potentially the best way to foment a more popular insurrection. If the Iraqis form the cross-sect alliance of moderates to exclude Sadr and select a new PM on their own as has been bruited about, that's their decision, but regardless we don't get to ignore the people in charge. We can no more sell out democrats in Iraq than we can sell them out in Israel.

Maliki's main game seems to be to play for time while his ISF get stronger; every month puts another 5-10,000 bodies at least ostensibly on his side, and the rest get another month of training/action under their belts. Part of power politics is that as you become stronger, weaker players are less likely to clash with you, thus preventing bloodshed. He may be delaying acting against Sadr in the hope that it will eventually be unnecessary. That may not be the best course, but ultimately that will be for Iraqis to determine.

From the Washington Post.

Local Muslim leaders lit candles yesterday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to commemorate Jewish suffering under the Nazis, in a ceremony held just days after Iran had a conference denying the genocide.
...
Major American Muslim and Arab-American organizations have condemned the Iran conference. The Muslim speakers at yesterday's ceremony did not mention that event but called for recognition of the suffering Jews experienced in the Holocaust and condemned religious hatred. Asked afterward why they did not single out Iran, the Muslim leaders said the problem was broader than the recent conference.

"The issue here is: There might be somebody from X and Y country, a Muslim, saying the same thing," Magid said. If anyone wants to make Holocaust denial an Islamic cause, he said, "we want to say to them: You cannot use our name."

(in case you missed it at Instapundit.)

DW's Mary Madigan photoblogs Beirut. Very interesting.

And there will be more, much more, at Michael Totten's place:

I'm back from a three-week under-the-radar trip to Beirut and South Lebanon. I wanted to write about events there while they were happening. But I went to Hezbollah's southern "capital" of Bint Jbail, and also to their blasted-apart command and control center in the dahiyeh, the suburb south of Beirut. I'm on their "list," so to speak, and it was both easier and safer to work without announcing my presence and giving them the chance to run interference.

Totten once mentioned that he likes to gather most of his coverage and then take time to write & publish, so keep an eye on the homepage for a few weeks.

50 Heroes from 50 States

(Via DW)

Roggio on the Iraqi Army and US MTTs:

While critics of the Iraq Army continue to question the capabilities of the units and soldiers, a real move towards operational independence is occurring within the Iraqi Army. Last year, I embedded with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (the Teufelhunden) in Husaybah, as well as the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (The Raiders) in the Haditha Triad. The 3/6 was working with the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the Iraqi Army, the most seasoned unit in the Army, while the 3/1 worked with the 7th Division, the greenest unit in the Iraqi Army. In western Anbar, a platoon of Marines paired up with a platoon of Iraqi Army soldiers in small outposts called Battle Positions. The Iraqi Army patrolled jointly with the Marines, and were directly dependent on the Marines for food, supplies, ammunition and transport.

I hesitate to more than scan the piece, as I'll be covering some of the same ground and would like to form independent impressions for comparison. You, however, should closely read the rest, which includes a list of "Shortcomings", "Successes" and "Recommendations."

The WaPo takes a whack at farm subsidies:

The very policies touted by Congress as a way to save small family farms are instead helping to accelerate their demise, economists, analysts and farmers say. That's because owners of large farms receive the largest share of government subsidies. They often use the money to acquire more land, pushing aside small and medium-size farms as well as young farmers starting out.

"Historically, when you think of family farms, you think of Mom and Dad and three generations working a small or mid-sized farm. It gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling," said Alex White, a professor of agricultural economics at Virginia Tech. "In the real world, it might be a mid-sized farm. But it also might be a huge farm. It might be a corporation."

Large family farms, defined as those with revenue of more than $250,000, account for nearly 60 percent of all agricultural production but just 7 percent of all farms. They receive more than 54 percent of government subsidies. And their share of federal payments is growing -- more than doubling over the past decade for the biggest farms.

Aside from the implication that the way subsidies are distributed is the problem, rather than the breadth and existence of subsidies themselves, it's a good article.

"If the purpose of farm policy was to save the family farm and help stabilize rural communities, then it hasn't worked," Oswald said. "What the government is really doing is subsidizing land and assets, not people."

Funny how that ends up ...

More Roggio from Fallujah:

The Iraqi soldiers, or jundi, in southwestern Fallujah run multiple patrols on their own; the Marines do not accompany the jundi every time they leave the wire. They provide for their own food, ammunition, "3 Company gathers their intelligence, plan and execute their own operations," said Lt. Cortez, the lead adviser at The ROC.

These soldiers are volunteers, and are highly motivated to kill "Ali Baba" - the name they give the insurgents. There are major shortcomings with the Iraqi Army in Fallujah: logistics, pay and the lack of heavy weapons hold the jundi back from being fully independent (this will be covered in more depth along with the police in future posts on the MTTs/PTTs). But a fighting spirit is not one of these shortcomings.

As they say, RTWT.

Is this Bush's new plan for Iraq? Fred Barnes thinks so.

Highlights:

We must change our focus from training Iraqi soldiers to securing the Iraqi population and containing the rising violence. Securing the population has never been the primary mission of the U.S. military effort in Iraq, and now it must become the first priority.

We must send more American combat forces into Iraq and especially into Baghdad to support this operation. A surge of seven Army brigades and Marine regiments to support clear-and-hold operations starting in the Spring of 2007 is necessary, possible, and will be sufficient.
...
The president must request a dramatic increase in reconstruction aid for Iraq. Responsibility and accountability for reconstruction must be assigned to established agencies. The president must insist upon the completion of reconstruction projects. The president should also request a dramatic increase in CERP funds.

Interestingly, it claims the other options proposed by the ISG and Pentagon will fail, as they don't adequately address what they see as the center of gravity of the entire effort: the effect of Iraqi violence on American public opinion. I have my doubts that seven brigades of U.S. forces will be "sufficient" to accomplish what they're talking about (one consequence of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict is that it takes much less effort for our enemies to maintain the status quo), but I certainly agree public opinion is central and that more reconstruction funds should be allocated.

And the Keane/Kagan plan sure beats the "it's time to cut our losses and write Iraq off" conventional wisdom. I've been a fan of Fareed's work in the past, but the cause of liberty is rarely advanced by giving up, and squandering real progress for some vague notion of promoting freedom by being better liked seems both reckless and feckless.

This idea seems to be gaining momentum among Iraqi politicians, as I'm seeing it raised more and more often recently:

Here's the background. Iraqi lawmakers have told reporters that they are ready to oust Maliki over his utter failure to deal with Iraq's continuing security crisis. Under Iraqi law, they could do so with a majority vote in parliament. Indeed, Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish and secular MPs have been gradually shaping a parliamentary majority that specifically excludes followers of Al Sadr. This new emerging majority bloc would be headed by the Shiite leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, who met with President Bush in Washington earlier this month. Hakim is well known to be close to Iran, but he doesn't want to be prime minister, and it is doubtful that anyone else wants him to be PM, either. Instead, Hakim backs Adel Abdul Mahdi.

Everyone celebrated when the purple fingers arrived in Iraq. Remember the joy, the optimism, the sudden swing in conventional wisdom, the doubts among war critics? Well, that event was the icing, the plodding laborious process of political moderates banding together against extremists is the cake. This unheralded dynamic is a primary reason why, as Rudy Rummel has exhaustively demonstrated, liberal democracy is the least worst form of government.

(excerpted link via Glenn)

Krauthammer on the ISG report:

The ISG has not just been attacked by left and right, Democrat and Republican. It has invited ridicule. Seventy-nine recommendations. Interdependent, insists Baker. They should be taken as a whole. "I hope we don't treat this like a fruit salad and say, 'I like this but I don't like that.'" On the basis of what grand unifying vision? On the authority of what superior wisdom? A 10-person commission including such Middle East experts as Sandra Day O'Connor, Alan Simpson and Vernon Jordan?

This kind of bipartisan elder-statesmen commission is perfectly appropriate as a consensus-building exercise for, say, a long-range problem such as Social Security. It is a ludicrous mechanism for devising strategic changes in the middle of a war.

More Roggio from Fallujah:

As the the Iraqi Army, Fallujah Police and U.S. military work to secure Fallujah, the war in the shadows continues. Insurgents rarely fight in the open. Their tactics consist of intimidation, drive by shootings, roadside bombs, indirect mortar fire and the increasingly dangerous sniper attacks. The units currently here in Fallujah have yet to encounter a coordinated attack where the enemy maintained contact.

Read the rest.

The dust-up over Jamil Hussein takes a twist, with former CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan joining the hunt for the mystery man:

Who is Jamil Hussein? Michelle Malkin is leading the charge for an answer, and she put that question to me in her blog. The AP is in the midst of a public firestorm regarding whether supposed Iraqi police captain Jamil Hussein actually exists and, if so, whether he was a legitimate news source for a disputed November 24 AP-reported story saying Shia thugs in Baghdad "grabbed six Sunnis as they left Friday worship services, doused them with kerosene and burned them alive near Iraqi soldiers who did not intervene." The U.S. military, the Iraqi government, and many others insisted the AP story was false and that Jamil Hussein either was fictitious or was not an Iraqi police officer, as asserted in the AP's report. The AP has issued two strong statements defending its initial report and produced fresh statements from witnesses of the alleged crime, but the AP has not produced Jamil Hussein himself.

So the search for Jamil Hussein is on, and rightly so. IraqSlogger's team in Baghdad is working to track him down. If we find him, we'll get back to you with details. If we can't find him, we'll report that, too. If Michelle Malkin wants to join the search in Baghdad, IraqSlogger will pay for her trip, and I'd even be willing to accompany her. Stay tuned.

Recall that Jordan resigned from CNN after bloggers exposed his comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos about Coalition troops ostensibly targeting journalists. Jordan's new gig is Iraq Slogger, described here:

IraqSlogger is the world's premier Iraq-focused Web site. The free 24/7 up-to-the-minute news service provides an unrivaled combination of exclusive and third party reporting and analysis on Iraq. IraqSlogger reports on traditional topics as well as extraordinary topics: black market prices in Baghdad, the buzz on Iraq's streets, the latest graffiti in Iraq, and more. IraqSlogger's contributors include journalists in Iraq, the U.S., and elsewhere who are committed to providing insightful and, at times, unconventional, reporting and analysis, as well as links to, and critiques of, reporting and analysis in U.S. and Iraqi news outlets. IraqSlogger is committed to providing clarity, truth, and confidence in reporting on Iraq.

Given the comments that forced his resignation and his admission that CNN covered up for Saddam Hussein's regime to maintain access, many bloggers are skeptical about Jordan's new enterprise and this specific effort to find the AP's source; but if Jamil Hussein can be found - or if he can't - the story will make a great contribution to sussing out truth from lie in the AP's rigid yet oblique defense of its questionable stories.

Oh and, by the way - it looks like Malkin's accepted Jordan's invitation to Iraq, a decisive parry of the "Chickenhawk Gambit." Kurt from Flopping Aces (the original site that questioned the AP source) may also go, pending his ability to get time off from his job as a police officer. He also voices some skepticism:

I worry, as others have, that this may be a set-up of some kind. Think about it. Eason Jordon should have a easy time of finding Jamil Hussein since the AP has said they have been talked to him for over two years. I have blogged many times that there may indeed be a man named Jamil Hussein but my argument has always been he is a fraud. It has already been confirmed that he is NOT employed by the Iraqi government so why would we go skipping around Iraq in search of someone the AP could supposedly produce in a heartbeat?

Picture this, we are tooling around Baghdad and then Eason say's "AH-HA!" There he is. Jamil produces a fake police ID badge and then asks us to comment. When we say that we would like him to come with us to the Ministry of Interior and have the MoI verify he is indeed a employee Mr. Jordan would spin it as "big time journalist (Michelle obviously, not me) refusing to accept proof that Jamil is real." His story would be "Jamil found" and thats how it will be filed across the land.

Eason Jordan has already proven to us all that he is void of any ethics when it comes to journalism so why should we trust him now?

If Hussein is produced but cannot be verified as who he claims to be, blogs and other electronic media will have a large part in determining how the story will "filed across the land." Whether Jordan is attempting honest brokerage or not, his ability to control the narrative once it takes place is no greater than the collectively focused will of a decentralized blogosphere. Just my take.

Thanks for the welcome Bill, I'd just about forgotten that amusing interlude at Swords Crossed. I wonder what Armando's doing these days? Well, I hope he's fully recovered from the various impalings. Anyways, it's a great honor to be posting here on one of the sites where I first learned of blogs, during the heady halcyon days of RatherGate, when Bill played a critical role in bringing down a legendary, powerful media icon making an old man cry.

I generally post from a more-or-less classical liberal, Deist perspective on Iraq, technology, and current events (though perhaps I'm best known for my controversial views on cat litter). I'll be filling in as Bill preps for the exotic desert vacation that he somehow conned his readers into footing the bill for (but if we're lucky he may deign to post some material in between sneaking into houris' tents). Perhaps he'll even luck onto the fabled Jamil Hussein, darling of AP reporting and Iraqi milk cartons; I'm told Bill has successfully completed a rigorous missing-persons training course so I'd say his odds are better than average.

Dave Price will be joining dorkafork and me to author posts at INDC Journal, helping pick up the slack while I prep for my trip. You might know Dave from his posting at Dean's World, an infamously brief stint at Swords Crossed or his comments on most every single blog known to man. Thanks, Dave.

DaF is still acting probational number two at INDC since Hubris's sudden departure, but between you and me, it won't take much to knock him off. Good luck.

I Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs has posted a video tribute to Major Megan McClung. USA Today also features a prominent write-up:

A major who rejoined the Marines so she could go to Iraq has become the highest-ranking female servicemember to be killed in the war.

Megan McClung, a 1995 graduate of the Naval Academy, was remembered Tuesday by family and friends as having steel-like constitution. She was a triathlete who organized and ran a marathon in Iraq and competed in six Ironman competitions - running, swimming and bicycling - around the world.

They say that a person's legacy is reflected in the number of lives touched by his or her time on Earth. Given the quantity of google searches that wound up at INDC in the past few days, I'd say that McClung made a heck of an impression.

Time Magazine's Mark Kukis on Ramadi:

Since June, the U.S. effort to quell sectarian violence in Baghdad has drawn thousands of troops to the country's capital, where the world's attention remains largely focused. But outside of Baghdad, U.S. forces are suffering the heaviest death toll these days as they continue to wage a grim, uncertain struggle to defeat insurgents in the predominately Sunni province of Anbar. Tallies of the war dead from August to November show that more than two-thirds of the U.S. casualties in Iraq were outside Baghdad, with four in 10 of those deaths occurring in Anbar Province. Much of the killing happens in Ramadi, where insurgents and fighters from al-Qaeda in Iraq attack Marines, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi security forces almost daily.

RTWT, and be sure to note the audio accompanying the story.

(Via Fumento, who has more)

After varying assessments for more troops from NCO's, junior officers, (retired) senior officers, military analysts, Senators and Congressmen, and wondering why the Administration and Congress haven't taken aggressive steps to expand the military ...

Why didn't the Administration (through Congress) use the past 3-5 years to restructure the composition of the service branches to meet the needs of an occupation, insurgency and massive reconstruction project? The answer for planning in 2001 to late-2003 is simple: they didn't anticipate a long insurgency and occupation. For late-2003 and beyond, I have no idea.
...
And the fundamental question remains: given that current military spending as a percentage of GDP is below levels of spending during the first Gulf War, the Reagan defense build-up, Vietnam and Korea, ("The Sustainable Economics of War") why is this Administration not pushing Congress for a level of investment necessary to win out the critical strategic gambles in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as make ready for the next conflict?

... an official request is on the horizon:

The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources.

In addition, the Army will press hard for "full access" to the 346,000-strong Army National Guard and the 196,000-strong Army Reserves by asking Gates to take the politically sensitive step of easing the Pentagon restrictions on the frequency and duration of involuntary call-ups for reservists, according to two senior Army officials.

The push for more ground troops comes as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have sharply decreased the readiness of Army and Marine Corps units rotating back to the United States, compromising the ability of U.S. ground forces to respond to other potential conflicts around the world.

"The Army has configured itself to sustain the effort in Iraq and, to a lesser degree, in Afghanistan. Beyond that, you've got some problems," said one of the senior Army officials. "Right now, the strategy exceeds the capability of the Army and Marines."

Not to mention explains the practical limits on significant surges of personnel for contingencies that arise in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

Do note that the numbers are relatively small, however: the Army may be requesting a 6% increase from its officially budgeted "end-strength," but that's really less than a one percent increase when compared to the number of personnel currently on active duty. The report is less than specific on the Marines, citing a requested increase of "a few thousand."

These requests are also intended to shift the accounting away from the emergency defense bills and into the regular budget, lending incremental gains an imprimatur's permanence.

Soft drinks: a fundamental component of rising obesity rates:

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It's because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don't immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.

20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There's plenty of that at this particular moment)

I can barely smell a glass of Coke, much less drink the vile syrup. Read the rest.

I've been remiss in not promoting recently published books written by several friends of this site. In my defense, I haven't had time to read them due to my impending trip. That said, all three authors are respected bloggers and superb writers & editors, so I have no hesitation issuing a recommendation.

*** First up, a novel by Arthur Chrenkoff, he of the groundbreaking and invaluable "Good News from Iraq" round-ups: Night Trains:

Martin is an ordinary Australian twenty-something, whose comfortable, well-ordered life gets turned on its head when he starts seeing and hearing things each night at the nearby semi-deserted railway yards: mysterious lights, people who disappear when followed, steam trains that aren't supposed to be there. Taken to the edge of sanity, Martin eventually learns that he is to ride the "night trains" every night back to wartime Europe to rescue Jews and help the resistance. But before the war ends, Martin will have to confront his SS nemesis, save the woman he loves, and face a terrible secret from the past that can destroy him before he can accomplish his mission.

Schindler's List meets the Polar Express. Very cool.

*** Next is Voting to Kill, Jim Geraghty's explanation for GOP political ascendance after 9-11:

Geraghty made his mark blogging coverage of the Kerry presidential campaign for National Review. In this insightful book, he deconstructs all the theories about Republican popularity as part of a craving for family values and focuses on what he considers the real issue: national security and safety in the face of terrorist threats. Americans favor a political party they think will not hesitate to kill terrorists. Drawing on recollections by ordinary Americans of the fear they felt on 9/11 as they faced the harrowing choice of which child to pick up from school first, Geraghty believes this fear created "Security Moms and Dads" singularly focused on safety who believe that Republicans are most likely to deliver on that issue.

Even in today's dim political environment for the GOP, Jim's thesis is sound. For example:

[F]ewer than 1 in 5 have "a great deal" of trust in Bush to "recommend the right thing" for the United States to do in Iraq.

Confidence in Democratic congressional leaders to chart the proper course is even lower, at 14%.

*** And finally, Blog of War, written by various bloggers on the front lines of the Long War and edited by Blackfive:

"Exciting, entertaining...and insightful; this book breaks new ground and allows us to get a better understanding of what is happening and has happened in our current war...The book is destined to set a trend for other blogger books as this one certainly leads the way with an excellent telling of our experiences in this current war. This will be a hard act to follow for the others! The Military Writer’s Society of America (MWSA) gives this book its highest rating of FIVE STARS." - Bill McDonald, President, MWSA

I can't sell it any better than that.

Congrats and well done to the 'sphere's newly minted authors.

*** Make it stop. Make it stop. Please, make it stop.

*** On the heels of a report noting the outsized impact of "cow emissions" on Global Warming comes the musical story of the Great Cow Revolution.

(Via DW)

*** This sounds a little like my college dorm room:

Police and firefighters yesterday rescued a Long Island man who had been trapped in his bedroom for four days after piling up a 7-foot-high mountain made up of bags of his own feces, jars of urine and other debris.

Ok, maybe a lot.

*** Dean Esmay has been nominated for Jihad Watch's "Dhimmi of the Year," joining such luminaries as Jimmy Carter, George Bush and Condoleeza Rice. The finalists were culled from the most frequent Jihad Watch reader nominations.

They sure seem like reasonable analysts, those commenters.

But they forgot the biggest Dhimmi of all: INDC Journal co-blogger Dorkafork, whose post today on Dennis Prager is a clear manifesto for submission to Islam. Oh well DaF, there's always next year - practice your ululation.

*** And finally, Donnah is soliciting ideas to celebrate her third blogiversary.

Feel free to leave a suggestion.

Recently I mentioned Dennis Prager's opinion on Keith Ellison swearing in on the Koran as an example of "hateful, intolerant, bigoted response to the mere idea of a Muslim holding office." I realize that's a pretty inflammatory statement which could use further explanation; more than one commenter defended Prager, describing him as far from bigoted and "a truly decent human being." I'm sure that for the most part he is remarkably decent. But I believe his views in this particular case are based on prejudice rather than sound reasoning. Let me try and lay out the reasons why I believe that to be the case.

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This is a must-read: a Powerpoint presentation (pdf document) utilizing stick figures which I suspect succinctly summarizes many of the same political, economic and warfighting complexities and challenges presented by the Devlin analysis. I've learned at least as much about Anbar from those 18 slides than the entirety of the MSM coverage to date.

The author? An evidently brilliant fellow named Captain Travis Patriquin. CPT Patriquin was killed by the same IED that felled PAO Major Megan McClung last Wednesday. Michael Fumento knew both of them, and pens an epitaph:

Patriquin was exactly the sort of officer we need in Iraq. He spoke at least five languages including fluent Arabic, and was a major player in getting Ramadi sheiks to start supporting Coalition operations by sending men into the Iraqi Police and urging civilians to expose al Qaeda terrorists. He fought in one of the fiercest battles of the Afghanistan war, Operation Anaconda, later receiving the Bronze Star. Patriquin also provided a terrific inbriefing, giving an overview of a city that seems slowly to be improving but is still too much like the local graffiti states: "The graveyard of the Americans." I quoted him at great length in my major article about the trip in the Nov. 27 Weekly Standard.

Fumento writes of their death:

While most journalists heading into Ramadi require no PAO escort, for some reason on December 6 both McClung and Patriquin, plus 22-year-old Army Specialist Vincent J. Pomante III decided to accompany some reporters downtown in a separate vehicle. A tremendous blast from an improvised explosive device (IED) ripped apart their truck, killing all three. I heard about Patriquin from a cousin of his, then left a message for McClung asking for verification and offering her my condolences. And then I found out about her. McClung has the dubious honor of being the first female officer killed in the war.

Godspeed MAJ McClung, CAPT Patriquin and SPC Pomante.

(Powerpoint via Blackfive)

After Thomas Ricks' latest highly negative WaPo piece about the fight in Anbar, I wrote a post documenting conflicting narratives coming from reporters on the ground: "Will the Real Anbar Narrative Please Stand Up?"

Below are headlines and excerpts from articles by Michael Fumento, Strategy Page, Bill Roggio, Greyhawk from Mudville and various UK Times correspondents that seem to at least contradict Ricks' angles that A) Anbar is lost and B) Al Qaeda is gaining rather than losing popularity among the local populace. Most of these reports track the evolution of the tribal war against AQ and the wider insurgency ...

Shortly thereafter, Fumento wrote a cooincidentally titled post asking the same question: "Will the real Ramadi please stand up?"

Why such different conclusions between our articles and the Post's and whom to believe?

It helps to know that the Times writer and I both went to and reported from Ramadi. We didn't summarize classified documents or quote unnamed sources. Linzer and Ricks stayed home and reported from Washington, relying entirely on an unpublished document in addition to quoting a "senior intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity." I have recently ripped the media's "Baghdad Brigade" for pretending it can cover a country the size of California from a single Iraqi city. What does that say about those who think they can cover Al Anbar from Washington?

Yesterday, Fumento follows up and declares that "the real Ramadi has stood up:"

In a Nov. 29 blog, "Will the real Ramadi please stand up?" I observed that three articles on conditions in Ramadi and al Anbar Province had appeared within a week of each other giving entirely different points of view. Mine and one in the Times of London said we're winning the war in Ramadi; a Washington Post A1 story co-authored by "Fiasco" author Thomas Ricks claimed exactly the opposite. The difference, I said, could be explained simply. I and the Times writer reported from Ramadi. Ricks and his co-author have not only never been to Ramadi, they wrote their piece from Washington. Well now the WashPost has printed another article on the city, this time an upbeat one. What gives? You guessed it.The second one was reported from Ramadi. Case closed, thank you very much.

The newest WaPo article in question:

Ramadi, the capital of the western, overwhelming Sunni Arab province of al-Anbar, has seen some of the bloodiest street battles of the war. Sunni insurgents remain well-entrenched here and continue to move freely through parts of downtown where Americans often dare not set foot.

At least six U.S. troops were killed in fierce fighting in the province on Wednesday, the military said.

But as the White House faces calls to revisit its Iraq policy, U.S. forces in Ramadi insist their strategy here - taking ground and holding it - is proving effective.

I will note that there may be value in looking at the situation in Anbar with different perspectives: while experience with those on the ground is surely invaluable, I'd imagine that a focus on military success could possibly distort an evaluation that necessarily includes political and economic factors to co-opting a local population and winning a counterinsurgency, as well as whether the current force levels required to maintain progress are sustainable. That said, Fumento's point seems pretty solid, as not one but (at least) five journalists reporting from the scene of the Anbar fight have painted a picture that's far more hopeful than Ricks' dire presentation of the famously negative Devlin report. I'll defer to the guy who's been there.

I disagree with many characterizations of US foreign policy in this piece by David Rothkopf. For example:

As one prominent Arab political scientist observed to me, "The secret most Americans won't admit is that this most recent war is not about terrorism. It is part of a quarter-century-old geopolitical tug of war with Iran for regional hegemony."

Though the two are intertwined, the most recent war was more about terrorism than the short or mid-term "geopolitical tug of war with Iran"; if that had been the main US concern, we'd have prioritized maintenance of Iraq as a foil for Iranian interest in the region, rather than taking the strategic gamble to depose the Baathist regime. In addition, I think Rothkopf casually dismisses a very real concern over state-abetted terrorism in the years after 9-11. But despite this and other debatable elements, he gets several big points (including the biggest one) exactly right:

The Middle East today is infinitely more dangerous than at the start of Gulf War II. Now, the Bush administration must do what it did not do before invading Iraq: Plan for the likely and possible futures, not just the one it hopes to face. While a long-term U.S. military presence in the region may further stoke anti-American passions, it may also make good and prudent strategic sense. The American people will need to assess such options based on the country's overarching interests -- which include reducing the likelihood of yet another war in the region -- rather than the short-term, feel-good option of bringing the troops home and retreating into a state of semi-isolationism.

And:

Over the long-term, one reasonable approach in the Middle East could be called "parallel containment:" The United States must contain the complex threats it faces in the region, and at the same time try to limit our vital interests there. On the first score, Hezbollah and Hamas must know that the United States is present and stands ready to take action. Iran must know that it will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, period. Moderates in the region must know that we will stand by them, with economic aid and political support, helping to restore U.S. moral authority in the Middle East. And everyone must know that an attack against Israel will always be considered an attack against America. On the second score, we must embark on the long-term but critical task of reducing our energy dependence on the Middle East. No strategy in any Gulf war could produce more lasting change in the region than a prolonged fall in oil prices. The only dependable formula for ultimate victory in the Gulf wars will come through innovation and conservation right here at home.

My only contention with that paragraph: I now believe Iran will obtain nuclear weapons, which could presage a regional arms race and bolder conventional attacks by Iran's regional proxies, particularly against Israel.

The rest is worth your time.

*** Roggio in Fallujah: "Hearts and Minds:"

Navy Corpsman are attached to Marine units to provide medical care for the Marines. Here with the Police Transition Team, the corpsmen are perhaps the most important member of the team. The corpsmen not only treat the Marines, but are the primary medical caregivers of the Iraqi police. "When it comes to hearts and minds, the corpsman are it," said Major Brian Lippo, the commanding officer of the Fallujah PTT. "This is where we shine. They show the police and Iraqi people (that) we are here to help."

*** Abu Kais on Lebanon:

Some people justify Hizbullah's actions by claiming they represent an impoverished community long neglected by the state. In other words, because the Shias of Lebanon were poor and neglected, somehow Hizbullah earned the right to be the bully it is, since it provides for them. This is a false argument, mainly because Hizbullah was never about social justice, but about farming humans to carry out an essentially Jihadist agenda. The people who benefit from their Iranian-funded projects are essentially tools for social change that is incompatible with Lebanese democracy. And if the state has failed Hizbullah's people, so has Hizbullah, which is now holding their country's economy hostage.

Michael Karam, managing editor of Executive Magazine, says Hibzullah's protests are killing the Lebanese economy.

*** The father of a SEAL writes Michael Fumento:

He commented to me about the proficiency of the 1/506th. He has great respect for their commander and would serve with him anywhere any time. My boy and his platoon worked with the 1/506th quite a bit. One day a sergeant brought the SEALs some spades for their helmets. [The spade is the symbol of the 1/506th.] They will never take them off. My boy thinks the 1/506th is one group of bad dudes. He also had good things to say about other Army and Marine units, combat teams of all kinds. These are dudes who take on the bad guys eye to eye. They jump out the back of a Bradley [fighting vehicle] and go get them. My boy says they don't get the credit they deserve. He does not like the way the media sometimes glamorizes the SEALs when other American soldiers are doing the same work. I can tell you from experience that real SEALs do not talk about themselves. In civilian dress, these guys look like any other American. Most of them are very humble about their accomplishments. Like most everyone else, SEALs are in awe of good soldiers. According to my boy, some of the guys from the Pennsylvania National Guard were as good at soldiering as SEALs, Marines, or 1/506th. He said some of these National Guard guys were very bad news for the enemy. In fact, guys with families at home are very determined to get back to their wives and kids. They do not mess around with the enemy. They kill him quickly and with great determination because they are planning on going home.

You are right about our soldiers winning in Ramadi. You do a great service getting this truth out.

Tomorrow, Dec. 10, American troops will be participating in a marathon on a base in Tikrit. Many will be running to support TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), an organization that aids the families of those who gave their life for their country. It may be too late to sponsor a runner, particularly if you miss this post this weekend, but a general donation can be made here. More information can be found here.

(Note: To avoid any confusion, this does not seem to be the same marathon set up by Major Megan McClung, mentioned in a previous post. Participants in this marathon get credited for a marathon in Honolulu, whereas the race mentioned in regards to Major McClung is a satellite race for the Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington.)

A Bill Roggio dispatch from Fallujah:

To combat al-Qaeda and the insurgency, the Fallujah police are working to build offensive capabilities. One such example is the Special Missions Group, a new, platoon-sized unit of thirty specially selected Fallujah police designated to hunt al-Qaeda and insurgents in the city. The Special Missions Group was the vision of a Marine Reserves sergeant in the Police Transition team. The sergeant, who asked not to be identified, is an FBI agent, and has experience with this sort of training.

RTWT.

Marine Public Affairs Officer Major Megan McClung was killed by an IED in Ramadi Wednesday.

Patterico:

In working on my post on the L.A. Times report on the Ramadi airstrike, I exchanged several e-mails with Maj. Megan McClung, a press officer in Ramadi. She was at all times very cooperative and friendly with me. She never once gave me the impression that she thought my inquiries were unimportant because they were coming from a mere blogger.

Badger 6:

I won't exaggerate and pretend I knew her well, I don't know her hometown, whether she was married or had kids. I do know she was an interesting and welcome addition to Camp Ramadi, Iraq - and I will miss her.

I've exchanged e-mails with Major McClung in preparation for my trip, and she was uniquely organized and "take charge" about helping to obtain access and design coverage. While googling her name to look for official word of her death, I also learned that she was a Division I college gymnast, triathalete and avid marathoner, as mentioned in this WaPo story about satellite races for the Marine Corps Marathon:

Marine Maj. Megan McClung, an avid runner who will participate in Iraq on Sunday, came up with the idea in May for a satellite race for deployed servicemen and women. With the help of Marine Corps Marathon organizers and the Army's Office of Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the MCM Forward will officially be considered part of the marathon here. Each finisher in Iraq will be added to the list of those who cross the finish line in Rosslyn.

Rest in peace, Major McClung.

The worst portion of the Iraq Study Report is its advocacy of engaging Iran and Syria to find stability. Given that those two countries have been waging a proxy war to kill Americans and Iraqis and destabilize Iraq, rewarding that effort amounts to strategic capitulation dressed up as diplomacy. Along these lines, I'll point you to an article in Time Magazine which covers Lebanon's heightening sectarian conflict amid the diminishing promise of the Cedar Revolution. The bit that caught my eye:

So why is the Cedar Revolution crashing down? Part of the answer rests outside Lebanon's borders. During the summer's war with Israel, Hizballah relied heavily on the Syrians for logistic, military and financial support. According to Israeli officials, Western diplomats in Beirut and Arab sources, Damascus acted as a conduit for Iranian weapons to reach Hizballah, allowing the group to fight the Israelis to a standstill.

Now it is payback time. Lebanese officials, along with Israeli military sources and Western diplomats, say that while Syrian President Bashar Assad may be willing to help pull the Bush Administration out of the Iraqi quicksand, he hopes to exact concessions that would allow him to treat Lebanon, where the Syrian regime has vast financial interests, as his private turf. And according to these same sources, he is unnerved by a U.N.-sponsored inquiry that implicates top Syrian officials in the February 2005 car bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. Assad is hoping that the international probe will peter out. Indictments issued by a U.N.-sponsored court against members of the Syrian leadership could critically weaken the Damascus regime and lead to U.N. sanctions against Assad's clique.

Iraq is not just Iraq. I understand the frustration (especially amongst a dour right-wing) with the war's progress sliding bloodily sideways, but the concept of horse trading with the regimes that have A) been essentially fighting us via proxies and B) are interested in America's strategic disengagement from the Middle East, including leaving other weakened regimes like Fouad Siniora's Lebanon to their thuggery, amounts to a generational defeat of regional freedom. And while yesterday's status quo may seem attractive - no Americans dying, the end to a confusing war, etc - it also replants the seeds of terror (dueling dictatorship and religion) and sets the world up for graver conflict down the road. Theoretically, talks with Iran and Syria aren't out of the question, but the US needs the position to approach such engagement carrying far more stick than hat.

To wit, Henry Kissinger via Bruce Kesler:

A diplomacy that excludes adversaries is clearly a contradiction in terms. But the argument on behalf of negotiating too often focuses on the opening of talks rather than their substance. The fact of talks is assumed to represent a psychological breakthrough. The relief supplied by a change of atmosphere is bound to be temporary, however. Diplomacy - especially with an adversary - can succeed only if it brings about a balance of interests. Failing that, it runs the risks of turning into an alibi for procrastination or a palliative to ease the process of defeat without, however, eliminating the consequences of defeat ...

UPDATE: Bryan Preston:

Since when did the United States or any country wage war by publishing its plans or suggested plans for all the world to see? Since when did the United States or any country let its enemies see internal deliberations and strategic pivots, and since when did we think our enemies shared our interests, either in one war theater or on a more broad strategic plane? Since when did we wage war by a geriatric committee of has-beens and shady Washington insiders? Since when has there been anything to talk about with the world's two worst remaining terrorist states?

And the NY Post:

IRAQ 'APPEASE' SQUEEZE ON W.

I've always thought it can't happen here, not only because of the Constitution, but also because of the innate decency of the American people. I'm getting a little less sure I can count on the decency part:

When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."
...
"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland
...
"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."
...
Those in agreement are not a fringe minority: A Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification. (emphasis added)

The bolded part may not be entirely correct. 39% don't necessarily hold prejudiced views on Muslims. They hold prejudiced views on Arabs. Back to the article:

And optimists saw signs of change in the November 4 election of the first Muslim to the U.S. House of Representatives, which has 435 members.

Democrat Keith Ellison, a 43-year-old African-American lawyer, did not stress his religion during his campaign for a Minnesota seat, but said his victory would "signal to people who are not Muslims that Muslims have a lot to offer to the United States and the improvement of our country."

Instead, it showed a hateful, intolerant, bigoted response to the mere idea of a Muslim holding office. For example, Dennis Prager. Swearing an oath on the Koran would be "doing more damage to the unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the terrorists of 9-11." Would we have had comparisons to 9-11 if it had been a Hindu Congressman requesting to swear on a Bhagavad Gita? Then there are the comments on that post. (I hate it when bad commenters happen to good blogs.)

"I'd rather there was no book of religion involved at all than even ONE son-of-a-bitch swearing the oath of office on the satanic Quran."

Who the hell cares what he swears on. ... I the hell care, and you should too. Either that or get your woman a burkha while they're still cheap.

Islam is NOT...A freakin religion!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a form of government, spewing hatred and violence on innocent people. It must be outlawed.

Practicing islam isn't freedom of religion. It's devil worship.

Ellison wants to make the USA one nation under Islam. I say "No." No Koran.

...he should be forced to surrender his seat to his opponent. Its part of our history and our society and that vile hate mongering piece of toilet paper Quran has no place in it.

I'm just wondering if the clown loses a debate, is he gonna throw a prayer rug on the floor of the House and start invoking suicide bombers.

Daisy, this is NOT a proud moment for me with Ellison in office. And she ascribes INTEGRITY to Ellison, when at his victory party the crowd shouted Takbir and Allah ackbar? No thanks.

Takbir is an Arabic name for the phrase Allahu Akbar, which means simply "God is Great." So the last commenter could have just as easily said "Muslims? No thanks."

That's not the only bit of ignorance on display in the comments, like mistaking Muhammed for Allah, and the imaginary military slogan. But it's not uncommon for people who know nothing of even the basics of the Islamic faith to spout off on it's essential evil qualities.

I remember feeling a sense of pride in my countrymen for the almost complete lack of violence against Muslims in the days and weeks after 9/11. I'd like to continue to feel pride in the continued lack of violence, but that 39% makes it difficult. I would've expected an increase in xenophobia in the days after 9/11, when there were worries about imminent subsequent attacks. To see that increase with a complete lack of major terror attacks in the US is troubling.

Well now, isn't this interesting:

In a surprise twist in the debate over Iraq, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, the soon-to-be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he wants to see an increase of 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops as part of a stepped up effort to "dismantle the militias."

The soft-spoken Texas Democrat was an early opponent of the Iraq war and voted against the October 2002 resolution authorizing President Bush to invade that country. That dovish record got prominently cited last week when Speaker designate Nancy Pelosi chose Reyes as the new head of the intelligence panel.

But in an interview with NEWSWEEK on Tuesday, Reyes pointedly distanced himself from many of his Democratic colleagues who have called for fixed timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Coming on the eve of tomorrow's recommendations from the bipartisan Baker-Hamilton commission, Reyes's comments were immediately cited by some Iraq war analysts as fresh evidence that the intense debate over U.S. policy may be more fluid than many have expected.

"We're not going to have stability in Iraq until we eliminate those militias, those private armies," Reyes said. "We have to consider the need for additional troops to be in Iraq, to take out the militias and stabilize Iraq ... We certainly can't leave Iraq and run the risk that it becomes [like] Afghanistan" was before the 2001 invasion by the United States.

This is a surprising and mature perspective from a leader on the leftward side of the aisle. Read the whole thing.

Posts later.

Potentially the most important equipment req for embedding in Iraq is the protective gear designed to keep folks insulated from flames, shrapnel and bullets. It's not only important from a safety perspective; the Multi-National Forces-Iraq's media checklist includes the following admonition:

No matter where you go though, you will need body armor and a helmet to travel on any military mode of transport. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT-YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL OR EMBED with the military.

No armor, no trip. Cooincidentally, this is also a requisite for cab rides to certain portions of DC.

The following outlines my dawning experience with the protective essentials:

Read More »

Bill Roggio is posting from Iraq:

In nearly every conversation, the soldiers, Marines and contractors expressed they were upset with the coverage of the war in Iraq in general, and the public perception of the daily situation on the ground. [They] felt the media was there to sensationalize the news, and several stated some reporters were only interested in "blood and guts." They freely admitted the obstacles in front of them in Iraq. Most recognized that while we are winning the war on the battlefield, albeit with difficulties in some areas, we are losing the information war. They felt the media had abandoned them.

Read the whole thing.

Thanks, AP.

*** John Bolton will resign. I'm sorry to see him go, primarily because his departure spells an end to Goldstein's "John Bolton's Straight-Talking Mustache 'Regis'" series.

*** In the muddy political back and forth over who loves, likes, doesn't like, hates or patronizes the troops, the sentiments from the Bay Area still register loud and clear.

*** Blinded by Midwestern outrage, Captain Ed bemoans the unfairness of the final BCS rankings:

So what happened? Two polls shifted Florida above Michigan, despite a moderately effective win against Arkansas and a bye week for the Wolverines. Had USC beaten UCLA as expected, Michigan would have likely remained in third place -- but the coaches and sports writers decided to skew the polls in order to prevent a rematch of Michigan against Ohio State for the national championship.

Why? The one answer given, that no one wants to see a rematch, is simply ludicrous. Perhaps the coaches don't want to see one, but plenty of people thought the earlier game may have been the best of the year.

The "one answer" given?

I'll give you at least five. Ironic is the fact that Ed congratulates Notre Dame - a questionably talented program which trades more on its name than Paris Hilton - for winning a BCS berth.

Go Gators. Anyone know any good sports bars in al-Ramadi? And only ones with big-screen High Def please; anything else is primitive.

*** I saw Tenacious D last night at the Patriot Center. Part comedy skit, part broadway and all kickass heavy metal concert, Kyle Gas and Jack Black are legitimately talented musicians. Goofy lyrics aside, few bands play that well live. Their cover of the Who's Pinball Wizard gives the Who a run for their money, and the devil's song in their musical battle for Kyle's soul may be the most rockinest piece of metal I've ever heard. A fantastic, funny show.

See also: The Pick of Destiny (Live), The Metal (Live) and Beelzeboss. (Language, Metal and faux-Satanical Imagery Warnings)

FOX Radio News Contributor Griffin Jenkins (who was recently embedded in Fallujah) quotes Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Salas about Thomas Ricks' recent story:

We can win - but as the report says we can't win with just military power, we need the economic and political powers to engage as well.

There are many military tactical victories that we achieve on a daily basis in terms of freedom of maneuver or where we need to go in this country. At the end of the day, until we're able to make those comparable accomplishments in terms of the government, the economics, and the political infrastructure -- until those things change, until those long-term effects are realized, then trying to solve the insurgency out here is going to be problematic.

The assessment is unvarnished. They're frank, they're candid, and intended to be a tool for the commanders and the staff to try to get an assessment and make judgments about what is happening and what we are going to do in the future.

There are a number of points that are laid out in that assessment. But at the end of the day, we can be as militarily successful as we need to be, but until we can hit on those other lines - economics, governance, transition: those are going to be decisive at the end of the day.

Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors are out here to win. We win battles everyday in Anbar. However any long-term victory against the insurgency must be accomplished along with the Iraqis. This is our main mission. While we are developing their capacity we continue to fight the insurgency.

And Marines always fight to win.

To say we are doing anything less is disingenuous and dishonors the service of the men and women here, both Iraqi and Coalition.

Read the rest for Jenkins' thoughts. With all of the criticism of Ricks' potentially selective presentation of the intelligence report, I think it's important to note that the content of the report was indeed fairly grim, highlighting significant challenges to a US victory. But from what I understand, it also laid out recommended steps to obtain victory, rather than proclaiming Anbar a lost cause.

Jenkins also has perspective on the ABC report intimating possible withdrawal from Anbar.

Charles Krauthammer brilliantly addresses the current tussle over Iraq policy:

The key to progress is political change within Iraq. The newest fashion, however, is to go "regional," engaging Iran and Syria in order to have them pull our chestnuts out of the fire. This idea rests on the notion that both Iran and Syria have an interest in stability in Iraq.

Very hardheaded realist terms: interest, stability, regional powers. But stringing them together to suggest that Iran and Syria share our interests in stability is the height of fantasy. In fact, Iran and Syria have an overriding interest in chaos in Iraq -- which is precisely why they each have been abetting the insurgency and fanning civil war.

Perhaps in some long-term future they will want a stable Iraq as a tame client state of the Syria-Iran axis. For now they want chaos. What in God's name will a negotiation with them yield?

The rest is worth your time.

Previous: Iran Blatantly at (Proxy) War

*** In case you aren't caught up on the AP's questionable sources dust-up, Malkin has a monster link round-up.

*** Today I'm handing out excuses: an excuse to cheat ...

Genes may help predict infidelity, study reports

an excuse to slouch ...

Backache? Sitting upright could be culprit

and an excuse to live in your parents' basement and play video games all damn day:

Success may be "family affair"

High-five, dorkafork. High-five.

*** Bill Roggio has headed out to Iraq, and revolutionized the embed process along the way.

*** As a notorious secularist, I find this whole brouhaha over a Muslim Congressman not swearing on a Bible to be baffling and silly - why would he? Count me in with Eugene Volokh, Glenn Reynolds and Allahpundit.

Dennis Prager's attack on the idea of a Congressman swearing on a Koran - up to and including his clumsy Godwin's Law violation - is a silly angle of contention. Bonus trivia: name the President who signed this statement:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen ...

Answer.

(And yes, Nancy Drew, quote truncated)

(dorkafork adds: That was some bizarre video at Hot Air. Prager repeatedly says he's not asking for a religious test, but near the end they show a quote of his:

"America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress"

Mr. Prager, you keep using those words "religious test." I do not think they mean what you think they mean. I will also go out on a limb and say that I do not think that Ellison will be doing more damage than the terrorists of 9/11.)

*** Embed prep anecdote: folks sure do look at you funny when you jog around downtown DC in Level IV body armor, even at 5:30 AM. Here's hoping the Secret Service doesn't mistake it for a suicide vest ... though if they do, I'll be well-protected.