Braden Files has a preliminary report on conditions in Iraq from Tex DeAtkine, an old PSYOP and Middle East Guru who's been coaxed out of Ft. Bragg. Excellent set of insights, won't be completely comfortable reading for anyone but very much worth reading if you want to understand what's going on. (Hat Tip: Donald Sensing, back from vacation & blogging again).
Meanwhile, Amir Taheri talks about the 3 factions that are believed to be behind the attacks in Iraq (Hat Tip: Instapundit). Very detailed, and names names. Quite plausible, too, but as always with intel there are no guarantees. I'm sure we'll get Dan Darling's take on it soon enough.
"How do you support the troop about to go on patrol in Fallujah and yet tell him he may die for a worthless ill-considered war?"
You support them by telling them you're going to vote out the incompetents who swaggered our nation into this worthless, ill-considered war before they do it again.
The truth hurts, but as Hillary Clinton said, "I'm not going to look these soldiers in the face and lie".
You're right Fred good ole "Hil" won't lie to their face. See will wait til they turn their backs!
I agree with Tex on most of it -- but he is wrong that you can't support the troops without supporting the war. Just look at Vietnam. Congress eventually cut off the funding for that war; the administration was left with no choice but to bring the troops home.
Not saying that's what should happen in Iraq. But even if it did, it would not happen overnight. As I recall it took 4 or 5 years to turn Congress around on Vietnam. I seriously doubt we'll still be on the ground in Iraq four years from now. Long before then, it'll probably split in three: Kurdistan, Shiastan, and a Baathist regime in the center. But we can handle the latter (if need be) without ground troops; all we need do is periodically destroy them from the air.
"How do you support the troop about to go on patrol in Fallujah and yet tell him he may die for a worthless ill-considered war?"
The same way I can still love my children even if they end up in a situation that I don't approve of.
However, a very insightful piece, and I'd rather hear what's going on from someone who's there rather than read what some soccer mom in new jersey writes on her blog.
Well, we could support the troops with a *Stop loss* order to make them know they are wanted.