Well, no wonder Karen Hughes has sucked as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs:
Threatened abroad, U.S. diplomats have been hit with unprecedented security restrictions, confining many to fortress-like compounds and frustrating Bush administration efforts to get out and counter anti-U.S. sentiment.
Lockdowns and prohibitions on travel now apply to Americans posted to […]

I’m going to post select excerpts from this article in today’s The New York Times that I think display the heart of COIN operations and the changes happening in the Sunni-populated areas outside of Baghdad. The article, of course, has some sour notes, but I think the overall conclusion is fairly optimistic.
Capt. Ben Richards had […]

The New York Times:
G.O.P. Support for Iraq Policy Erodes Further
Support among Republicans for President Bush’s Iraq policy eroded further on Thursday as another senior lawmaker, Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, broke with the White House just as Congressional Democrats prepared to renew their challenge to the war.
“We cannot continue asking our troops […]

Oooh, here’s an interesting local Austin story just put out by Central Command that connects with Iraq:
In order to help Iraqi local governments move to self-sufficiency, the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalary Division is utilizing expertise from the Austin, Texas city manager’s office to examine concepts of governance from the standpoint of a […]

The Los Angeles Times:
The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war effort and the government’s capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns.
More than 180,000 civilians — including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis — are working […]

From The Wall Street Journal:
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and some allies in the Bush administration are seeking to build bipartisan political support for a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq by moving toward withdrawing significant numbers of troops from Iraq by the end of President Bush’s term.
The complicating factor is how long the administration will […]

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson has a ridiculous “column” at National Review Online today. I put column in scare-quotes because the majority of it is a listing of blurbs from American soldiers blasting the anti-war left. Where do the quotes come from? Patterson’s new book, War Crimes: The Left’s Campaign to Destroy Our […]

free will: The President makes remarks at a rededication ceremony of the Islamic Center of Washington; makes a statement on health care; attends a White House tee ball game.
free will: bush’s schedule for the day
friend: tee ball rocks
friend: i played tee ball for a day
free will: isn’t there a war or two going on?
free will: […]

I’m just going to lift John’s entire post on OP-FOR regarding a piece posted today by Gen. David Kilcullen, Senior Counterinsurgency Adviser, Multi-National Force–Iraq, on the Small Wars Journal Blog:

Via Small Wars Journal:
I’ve spent much of the last six weeks out on the ground, working with Iraqi and U.S. combat units, civilian reconstruction teams, Iraqi […]

The major offensives (Phantom Thunder, Arrowhead Ripper, et cetera) in Iraq continue today. The Washington Post has a story here that’s okay. I’m assuming it’s rather hard to find and report “both sides” of the story when the subject is changing so quickly — that is to say, I’m not certain that all the “naysaying” […]