Bombs Over Baghdad

Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
--Outkast

Zayed from Healing Iraq is the primary source on the ground. He's got his eyes on the prize. Insight for the blind...that includes me.

Speaking of facing facts...here's a little essay from Foreign Affairs (no jokes about 'working abroad') about the situation:

BLUNDERING IN BAGHDAD

With the transfer of power to a new interim Iraqi government on June 28, the political phase of U.S. occupation came to an abrupt end. The transfer marked an urgently needed, and in some ways hopeful, new departure for Iraq. But it did not erase, or even much ease at first, the most pressing problems confronting that beleaguered country: endemic violence, a shattered state, a nonfunctioning economy, and a decimated society. Some of these problems may have been inevitable consequences of the war to topple Saddam Hussein. But Iraq today falls far short of what the Bush administration promised. As a result of a long chain of U.S. miscalculations, the coalition occupation has left Iraq in far worse shape than it need have and has diminished the long-term prospects of democracy there. Iraqis, Americans, and other foreigners continue to be killed. What went wrong?

VDH has his own little column again stating that "this is an important war and that we have to keep at it...it's historic!"

I respect VDH but he hasn't really said too much that is new or relevant for months. LGF stopped referring to him a long time ago and he has to address the fact that...let's face it, Iraq is in serious trouble. I've been an optimist from the get go, but the situation is not good. I'm hoping that the 'turnaround' that is always seems to be just around the corner comes after the election when real and unpopular decisions are put through....like increasing the troop numbers. I don't pretend to be a military expert, but it seems that the administration has made error after error and that the top personnel has to change (Rumsfeld, et al) and there either has to be a re-commitment of troops or an exodus. The half measures currently in place are BS. How is the US going to steer the democratization when it is not in control of the country?

/rant off.