CUNY Students Are 'All Not In' With David Petraeus

City University of New York (CUNY) gave David Petraeus a less than warm welcomed. Apparently, these students aren't "all in."

Republicans Lied About Contents of Benghazi Emails

This is what the media should do to political figures that feed bogus information for political purposes. I wished CBS News went a step further and publicly outed the congressional Republicans that were feeding was quote from the Benghazi emails.

Republicans told CBS News that deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes wrote this in an email. Republicans alleged that Rhodes was trying to protect the State Department and Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. This is the bogus quote congressional Republicans fed to CBS News.

"We must make sure that the talking points reflect all agency equities, including those of the State Department, and we don't want to undermine the FBI investigation."

CBS News reports that Rhodes doesn't mention Clinton or the State Department in the actual email.

"We need to resolve this in a way that respects all of the relevant equities, particularly the investigation."

Republicans lied about the contents about an email by State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland. The CIA had asked the State Department to not reveal their role at the Benghazi consulate. The CIA was running operations out of the consulate. This is the actual Nuland email.

"The penultimate point could be abused by members to beat the State Department for not paying attention to Agency warnings."

At the request of the CIA, Nuland cut out mention of the CIA. Republicans made up a fake quote that gave the impression that the State Department was ignoring terrorist threat warnings from the CIA.

"The penultimate point is a paragraph talking about all the previous warnings provided by the Agency (CIA) about al-Qaeda's presence and activities of al-Qaeda."

This is an utter smear campaign by Republicans.

BACKGROUND: the CIA was running several different operations in Benghazi. David Petraeus' mistress, Paula Broadwell, was being briefed by the CIA. Broadwell even had classified CIA materials. After the affair became public, Broadwell's house was searched by the FBI. What was more disturbing is Broadwell publicly talking about the Benghazi annex.

"Now I don't know if a lot of you heard this, but the CIA annex had actually -- had taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to try to get these prisoners back. So that's still being vetted," she said.

David Brooks has an excellent op-ed defending his friend Nuland. Brooks also points out that Benghazi was mainly a CIA operation.

Remember, this was at a moment when the State Department was taking heat for what was mostly a C.I.A. operation, while doing verbal gymnastics to hide the C.I.A.’s role. Intentionally or not, the C.I.A. seemed to be repaying the favor by trying to shift blame to the State Department for ignoring intelligence.

Brooks goes on to point out the under-reported fact that Petraeus gave Congressional lawmakers the anti-Muslim video talking points. The question should also be why is a CIA director for a Democratic administration giving Republican lawmakers talking points. Brooks reports that Nuland was asking the same question.

On Friday evening of Sept. 14, the updated talking points were e-mailed to the relevant officials in various departments, including Nuland. She wondered why the C.I.A. was giving members of Congress talking points that were far more assertive than anything she could say or defend herself. She also noted that the talking points left the impression that the C.I.A. had issued all sorts of warnings before the attack.

Remember, this was at a moment when the State Department was taking heat for what was mostly a C.I.A. operation, while doing verbal gymnastics to hide the C.I.A.’s role. Intentionally or not, the C.I.A. seemed to be repaying the favor by trying to shift blame to the State Department for ignoring intelligence.

The whole scandal started by Republicans attacking the false administration reports that Ambassador Chris Stevens death was related to protests over an anti-Muslim video. David Petraeus gave his mistress classified intelligence and Congress horrible talking points. Obama's biggest fault in the Benghazi saga is appointing someone as incompetent as Petraeus.

Bill Young on David Petraeus Scandal

Rep. Bill Young was briefed by acting CIA Director Michael Morell. What Young said was not encouraging.

"I still don't know where this goes. I have a concern that it might go far deeper than we think. Not the personal issue but the issue as it relates to intelligence and national defense," Young said in an interview Tuesday night.

Young cannot talk about his briefing with Morell. What could be getting the attention of the CIA is Paula Broadwell's comments on Benghazi. Broadwell claimed the attack was a reprisal for the CIA taken two Libyan militia members as prisoners.

"Now I don't know if a lot of you heard this, but the CIA annex had actually -- had taken a couple of Libyan militia members prisoner and they think that the attack on the consulate was an effort to try to get these prisoners back. So that's still being vetted," she said.

That was not reported at the time. The CIA is unlikely to ever confirm such an operation. Another sign that Broadwell received classified information is from the FBI search of her computer.

The contents of the classified material and how Broadwell acquired it remain under investigation, said the officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment publicly. But the quantity of classified material found on the computer was significant enough to warrant a continuing investigation, the">ad officials told Reuters.

Petraeus was interviewed today and denied he gave Broadwell access to classified information. Broadwell admitted to the FBI that she stole documents. What I would like to know is how Broadwell got a security clearance and only had it revoked after the affair became public.

Obama Has No Afghanistan Strategy

Another example of why President Obama is not a policy wonk or takes policy seriously: special adviser Richard Holbrooke announced that the United States has no exit strategy for Afghanistan.

"We do not have an exit strategy but a transition strategy," Holbrooke said, adding that "2014 is not the end of international presence in Afghanistan (but) to be sure there will be some drawdown (of troops) in July next year. The size and pace will be decided by the president."

Translation: the Obama administration is winging this. Last year, Robert Gibbs told Chip Reid of CBS News that the 2011 withdrawal date was "locked" in. Gibbs' statement contradicted those of Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and Sec. of Defense Robert Gates. Both said that their offices had made no plans for withdawal in 2011. Bob Woodward reported that General David Petraeus has refused to provide President Obama with an exit strategy for Afghanistan. Obama could have fired Petraeus for insubordination. Obama chose political safety over firing a General who undermined his own policy.

We now know the the 2011 date is not "locked" in. Obama's promise of Afghan police and military ready to fend for themselves by 2011 was pure fantasy. Obama has never adequately addressed what is the mission in Afghanistan. Reports indicate al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden have moved to Pakistan.

During the election, Obama hinted at sending in troops into Pakistan. With the expection of special forces and predator drones; Obama has not given any indication of using full military manpower to invade al-Qaeda strongholds in Pakistan.

In 2009, military contractors outnumbered troops in Afghanistan. Phillip Carter and Paul Glastris wrote a highly controversial article in The Washington Monthly making the case to reinstitute the draft.

But there's a deeper problem, one that any president who chose to invade a country the size of Iraq would have faced. In short, America's all-volunteer military simply cannot deploy and sustain enough troops to succeed in places like Iraq while still deterring threats elsewhere in the world. Simply adding more soldiers to the active duty force, as some are now suggesting, may sound like a good solution. But it's not, for sound operational and pragmatic reasons. America doesn't need a bigger standing army; it needs a deep bench of trained soldiers held in reserve who can be mobilized to handle the unpredictable but unevitable wars and humanitarian interventions of the future. And while there are several ways for an all-volunteer force can create some extra surge capacity, all of them are limited.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have made it more difficult to retain and recruit soldiers. This is why the United States has relied heavily on contractors. These military contractors do not report to the military chain of command have endangered U.S. troops and civilians. Obama will keep using contractors because he knows the draft would be highly unpopular with the American public.

Obama's Afghanistan policy has nothing to do with defeating al-Qaeda or killing Osama bin Laden. Obama isn't willing to institute a policy that would remove troops from Afghanistan or defeat the al-Qaeda network in Pakistan. Obama is looking for a solution that will cause him the least amount of political pain. Unfortunately, brave men and women will die because Obama is more concerned with being elected for a second term.

Bob Woodward on Morning Joe

Bob Woodward talks to Joe Scarborough about the problems President Barack Obama faces with Afghanistan, the CIA and his own military generals. Woodward wrote that Gen. David Petraeus refused to give President Obama an exit strategy for Afghanistan.

Frustrated with his military commanders for consistently offering only options that required significantly more troops, Obama finally crafted his own strategy, dictating a classified six-page “terms sheet” that sought to limit U.S. involvement, Woodward reports in “Obama’s Wars,” to be released on Monday.

According to Woodward’s meeting-by-meeting, memo-by-memo account of the 2009 Afghan strategy review, the president avoided talk of victory as he described his objectives.

“This needs to be a plan about how we’re going to hand it off and get out of Afghanistan,” Obama is quoted as telling White House aides as he laid out his reasons for adding 30,000 troops in a short-term escalation. “Everything we’re doing has to be focused on how we’re going to get to the point where we can reduce our footprint. It’s in our national security interest. There cannot be any wiggle room.”

Petraeus's reaction was, "They fucked with the wrong guy." Petraeus's only strategy was to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely.

Gen. Petraeus on Dove World Outreach Center

The Dove World Outreach Center plans to continue with their attempt to burn the Koran on September 11th. Gen. David Petraeus told the Associated Press, "Images of the burning of a Quran would undoubtedly be used by extremists in Afghanistan - and around the world - to inflame public opinion and incite violence."

DWOC Pastor Terry Jones told AP was going to "stand up." What exactly is Jones standing up for is unclear.

"We are at this time not going to cancel it. We're still considering it and praying about it," Jones told The Associated Press. "We are also just also concerned and wondering, when do we stop? How much do we back down? ... Instead of us backing down, maybe it's to time to stand up."

Jones has never really made it clear what he is standing up for? Jones has admitted on Hardball that hehas never read the Koran. Jones has not clearly articulated what he expects to achieve from the Koran burning. What is known is Jones runs a church with a less than 50 congregation. Most people would not know who Jone is if he didn't use every media opportunity to promote book burning.

In Kabul, Afghanistan, protests against the DWOC has resulted "Death to America" chants. If Jones's plan was to piss off Afghans and endanger American troops then mission accomplished. I hope this little man enjoys his 15 minutes of fame.

Update: Charlie Crist tells the media he is against Koran burning.

"It's important to understand tolerance. This is a divisive issue on several levels. It obviously was stimulated by the mosque and its location in New York, and I think New York officials are the best to decide whether that's appropriate, but we're a country that was based on religious freedom. Sometimes freedom isn't easy but it's important to respect."

Obama Has No Plans To End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell confirms President Barack Obama has no plans to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"I do not believe there are any plans under way in this building for some expected, but not articulated, anticipation that don’t ask-don’t tell will be repealed."

Morrell told the media the Obama administration has not asked the Pentagon to scrap "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The President has discussed the policy with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen.

"They're aware of where the president wants to go on this issue, but I don't think that there is any sense of any immediate developments in the offing on efforts to repeal don't ask-don't tell," Morrell said.

General David H. Petraeus ducked a question on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during a public Q & A session.

The question was for the well-known "surge architect's" opinion on whether service personnel should be allowed to be openly gay, questioning whether the current "don’t ask, don’t tell” policy negatively affects unit cohesion.

“First of all, I’ve spent most of my career stepping around minefields, not into them,” he said, to general laughter. “We have an awful lot on our plate right now (with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). I’m not sure we want to add something else to our plate right now.”

Integration of the military was achieved by Harry Truman signing Executive Order 9981.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.

Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara issued Defense Directive 5120.36 The directive ended racial discrimation in the military illegal. Congress was not responsible for ending military racial discrimation. Obama has two legal precedents. The Commander-in-Chief has the power to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The issue is the President's lack of political courage. Personally, I don't think Obama cares about gay rights.

Related: Joel Award: Robert Gibbs

Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point on Al-Qaeda in Iraq

By 2007, the Bush administrations assertions that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was debunked to death. Dick Cheney made the illogical and false statement that the U.S. invasion of Iraq was because Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had links to Al-Qaeda.

“He took up residence there before we ever launched into Iraq, organized the al-Qaida operations inside Iraq before we even arrived on the scene and then, of course, led the charge for Iraq until we killed him last June,” Cheney told radio host Rush Limbaugh during an interview. “As I say, they were present before we invaded Iraq.”

Taken at face value: the U.S. military must spend more blood and tressure to hunt al-Zarqawi than hunt Osama bin Laden/Al-Qaeda on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point has studied Al-Qaeda documents U.S. military personal obtained in the field. It turns out Al-Qaeda does very good record keeping. The findings show al-Zarqawi did not join Al-Qaeda until 2004.

Al-Qa’ida’s allies began moving into Iraq even before U.S. forces entered the country in early 2003. After fleeing Afghanistan and traversing Iran, Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi slipped into Northern Iraq some time in 2002. At that time, Zarqawi’s organization was called Tawhid wa’l Jihad (Monotheism and Struggle) and was built around a backbone of Jordanians, Syrians, and Kurds that either rushed to join him in Iraq or had been working with the Kurdistan-based jihadi group, Ansar al-Islam.

Zarqawi did not join al-Qa’ida until October 2004, when he swore allegiance to Usama bin Ladin. The new organization was called Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn which was commonly known in the West as al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI). The agreement between Zarqawi and his new masters belied important disagreements that remained even after Zarqawi formally joined al-Qa’ida. Zarqawi was sometimes critical of al-Qa’ida’s willingness to cooperate with “apostates” against other enemies and, unlike Bin Ladin, fervently argued that al-Qa’ida’s “Near Enemy”—apostates and the Shi’a—were more dangerous than its “Far Enemy”—the United States and the West.

Al-Qaeda attempted to form ties with the Ba’athist insurgents. Al-Qaeda's ideology, kill all tactics and pure craziness made this impossible. The Ba’athist are members of Saddam Hussein's army. These are professional soldiers fighting for nationalism. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is made up of foreign-born Muslims that fanatical andpoorly-educated. This is why the different ethnic factions are more than happy to help Gen. David Petraeus destroy Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Cheney's claim that Iraq had ties to Al-Qaeda continues to get shot down. The Vice-President is solely intent on fear-mongering and propaganda. Straight talk is will never be Cheney's forte.

The pro-Al-Qaeda supporting groups are doing a good job of failing on their own. The Islamic State of Iraq attempts to maintain the image of an actual government. Their Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is a cabinet department with no actual office. The ISI may not even have a leader.

The U.S. spokesman in Baghdad, General Kevin Bergner, even claimed to have intelligence that Abu Umar al-Baghdadi is a fictitious character created to front the ISI while non-Iraqis pulled the strings.

The Combatting Terrorism Center finds the insurgency is largely made of Iraqis. Al-Qaeda is not the main group fighting and killing American soldiers.

Most of Iraq’s militants do not suffer that strategic problem. The vast majority of militants in Iraq have nothing to do with al-Qa’ida, and they are focused on Iraqi problems: security, distribution of power and money, and sectarianism. Those insurgents are a mix of Sunni nationalists, Ba’thists, Shi’a militias, and Islamist organizations. Mistaking any of these groups for al-Qa’ida is not simply wrong, it is dangerous.

The Bush administration continues to blur the line between the Iraqi-born insurgents and Al-Qaeda. The White House always puts message and politics over sound policy decisions.

The report finds the Iraq occupation is inspiring young Muslim men to take up arms against the United States. The idea the occupying Iraq is making America safer is bogus. I have tried figuring out why President Bush has stayed in Iraq. THe only logical reason is he doesn't want to be known as the man that lost Iraq. Bush can blame the next President for Iraq.

Petraeus: Six More Months

Thomas Friedman, the Bush administration and neoconservatives kept telling the American public to wait another six month. This is when Iraq will turn itself around. General David Petraeus is the latest to use this talking point.

We think we won't know that we've reached a turning point until we're six months past it. We have repeatedly said that there is no lights at the end of the tunnel that we're seeing. We're certainly not dancing in the end zone or anything like that.

The war supporters set up deadline after deadline and repeatly break it. Apparently, it is working in the short-term. A Sacred Heart University poll found 49.1 percent believe the war is going better than reported by the media. A CNN poll reports 46 percent of those polled believe the surge can be won. Petraeus have been the gift that keeps on giving to the White House.

The current troop levels will decrease. The Iraqi goverment is no closer to political reconciliation agong the sectarian groups. The government often blows off the foreign dipolomats.

Inside, almost like a hostage, Jaafari was being harangued by secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw. The two had decided only one day earlier to make the trip to Baghdad, exasperated that the prime minister was continuing to resist a steady flow of hints from the US ambassador that it was time to go. All kinds of arguments were trotted out. Iraq needed a leader who could unify the country. The government must clamp down on Shia militias. The cabinet had to be led by a man who could command support across the spectrum, including from Kurds and Sunni Arabs.

Jaafari did not listen, or at least he did not obey. Not even a phone call from Bush in the White House had done the trick. Now he was being given his marching orders by Rice and Straw in person.

The U.S. negotiated a cease fire with Moqtada al-Sadr. The religious leader is losing control over his people.

Many of Sadr's militia has claimed Sadr is not in control of most of the criminals who abducted and murdered Sunni civilians in the sectarian violence provoked by the bombing of the golden-domed shrine in Samarra. With the Sadr militia "ceasefire" mostly holding, it's hard to say exactly how much influence the militia still retains within Iraqi police and army units.

The Iraqi police and military is filled with insurgents, corruption is rampamt and Westerners still can't travel alone in Baghdad. Six months aren't going to fix these problems.

Conservative Reaction To Gore's Win

The conservative talking points against Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize win. New York Sun columnist Seth Gitell states that General David Petraeus should have won the Nobel Peace Prize. He is parroting the line started by Rush Limbaugh.

Charles Krauthammer compares Gore's win to Yasir Arafat's.

"Let's remember what the prize is about. Al Gore now joins Yasir Afafat. The father of modern terrorism.

We won't even get into Krauthammer winning a Pultizer Prize. He does a good enough job destroying his own credibility.

Iraqis were given their freedom, and yet many have chosen civil war. Among all these religious prejudices, ancient wounds, social resentments and tribal antagonisms, who gets the blame for the rivers of blood? You can always count on some to find the blame in America. "We did not give them a republic," insists Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria. "We gave them a civil war."

Krauthammer has an interesting concept of freedom. The Iraqi government doesn't even have the power to remove Blackwater.

Blackburn vs. Shulter

Marsha Blackburn defends Rush Limbaugh calling Senator Chuck Hagel "Senator Betrayus." Blackburn said the difference is Limburgh didn't buy a New York Times ad. Blackburn was outrage over Moveon.org, but didn't know that the name of the last soldier from her district to have died in Iraq.

Shulter named a soldier, Jeremy Bohannon, who did not die in Blackburn's district.

DAVID SHUSTER: On Monday evening while guest-hosting the 6 p.m. evening hour, I conducted an interview with Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn. The congresswoman spoke at length about a newspaper ad that criticized General Petraeus. In what I believed was an effort to examine Representative Blackburn's priorities, I then asked her to name the last soldier from her congressional district killed in Iraq.

She responded "the name of the last soldier killed in Iraq from my district, I do not know." After that response, I identified who I believed to be that fallen soldier, a Tennessean killed in Iraq last month. But according to Pentagon documents, that young man came from a town inside a neighboring congressional district, not from Representative Blackburn's, and for that, I apologize for that mistake.

Whoops.

That's a bad error on Shulter's part. Conservative bloggers are eating it up. Nevermind, that Blackburn was more obsessed with Moveon.org than remembering the fallen.

I hated the Moveon.org ad. They deserve the grief they are getting.

Republicans want to turn attention away from how badly the war is going. General Petraeus's did little to change public opinion. Republicans use patriotism, gun, gays and abortion as wedge issues. When people are discontent with the administration, there is only so much traction the GOP can get from the Moveon.org ad. There always is the option of governing like adults...

Quote of the Day

"Congressman, and I'm not trying to be flip, what I would do is consult my lawyer."

Gen. David Petraeus

Congressman Brad Sherman asked Petraeus if he would obey Congress if they passed a law limiting President Bush's military power in Iraq.

Moveon.org Should Move Away

Moveon.org finds a way to fuck the Left.


General Petraeus or General Betray Us?


Mustang Bobby is softer on Moveon.org than I am. He does admit the "General Betray Us" line provides conservatives with fodder. Minority Leader John Boehner introduced a resolution to condem the Moveon.org newpaper ad.

“The despicable attack MoveOn.org launched against General Petraeus today should be condemned by all Members of Congress, including the Democratic leadership,” Boehner said. “I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to join in support of this resolution so the House speaks with one voice rejecting the character assassination tactics employed by this extremist group.”

I'm getting tired of people on both sides of the Iraq war debate questioning the patriotism of political opponents. It's tactless. Boehner is guilty of the same thing. He questioned John Kerry's respect for the troops. Unlike Boehner, Kerry is a war veteran.

This holier-than-thou attitude continues like a skipping CD. Both are annoying and can't go forward. It is distressing that political leaders and activists act like children. This is why people follow Britney Spears life and tune out politics.

Iraq Fantasy v. Reality

"Coalition and Iraqi operations have helped reduce ethno-sectarian violence as well, bringing down the number of ethno-sectarian deaths substantially in Baghdad and across Iraq since the height of the sectarian violence last December."

Gen. David Petraeus

"However, the level of overall violence, including attacks on and casualties among
civilians, remains high; Iraq’s sectarian groups remain unreconciled; AQI retains the
ability to conduct high-profile attacks; and to date, Iraqi political leaders remain
unable to govern effectively. There have been modest improvements in economic
output, budget execution, and government finances but fundamental structural
problems continue to prevent sustained progress in economic growth and living
conditions."

National Intelligence Estimate

"Iraqi security forces have also continued to grow and to shoulder more of the load, albeit slowly and amid continuing concerns about the sectarian tendencies of some elements in their ranks.

"In general, however, Iraqi elements have been standing and fighting and sustaining tough losses, and they have taken the lead in operations in many areas."

Gen. David Petraeus

"The panel recommended that the Iraqi National Police force, widely seen by Iraqis as Shi'ite dominated, should be scrapped and reorganised because of sectarianism within its units that made it 'operationally ineffective'."

Reuters

Violence Worse In Iraq

U.S. military casualties have gone up during the surge. The Bush administration have repeatedly stated that U.S. military casualties in Baghdad are down. They will not offer statistics to back their assessment. Here are the numbers from Iraq Coalition Casualities Count.

8-2007 81
7-2007 79
6-2007 101
5-2007 126
4-2007 104
3-2007 81
2-2007 81
1-2007 83
12-2006 112
11-2006 70
10-2006 106
9-2006 72
8-2006 65
7-2006 43
6-2006 61
5-2006 69
4-2006 76

"Sectarian violence has sharply decreased in Baghdad," said President Bush. "The momentum is now on our side. The surge is seizing the initiative from the enemy -- and handing it to the Iraqi people."

McClatchy Newspapers reports that civilian casualities increased. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has made no effort to stop Shi'ite militias from killing the Sunnis. The U.S. military's efforts to contain the violence is failing miserably.

The military has been trying to build walls between neighborhoods and around potential bombing targets. But bombings and sectarian violence still take place.

The number of Iraqis killed in attacks changed only marginally in July when compared with December, down seven from 361 to 354, the McClatchy statistics show.

No pattern of improvement is discernible for violence during the five months of the surge. In January, 438 people were killed in the capital in bombings.

General David Petraeus has launched a successful PR campaign to convince lawmakers to keep the surge going. The good General is proving that it's not the merchandise, but the sales pitch.

Shocking News: Surge Not Working

A Pentagon report states what everyone already knows about the results of the surge and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s (lack of) leadership. This is coming from an Army Times article.

A Pentagon report released last week concluded that violence in Iraq edged higher during a four-month period between February and May — despite a U.S.-led security push in Baghdad. The report also raised questions about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ability to fulfill a pledge made in January to prohibit political interference in security operations and to allow no safe havens for sectarian militias.

Al-Maliki told USA Today that "terrorism and militias — especially terrorism — cannot be dealt with only by using tanks, guns and aircraft." This isn't the guy that will play hardball with insurgents and al-Qaeda. This is a different tune than what he was singing when he came into office.

As Prime Minister, al-Maliki has vowed to crack down on militias which he calls "organized armed groups who are acting outside the state and outside the law."

Much has been made of how General Petraeus's September report. In Washington, it has served as an unofficial deadline for continued U.S. involvement in Iraq. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has admitted as much on Face the Nation.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said most senators in his party think September is the critical point.

"The proper time to really make a serious evaluation of the direction we ought to head is in September," McConnell said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

It's June and McConnell is very displeased. One can only imagine his mood come September.

``The Iraqi government has been a pretty big disappointment,'' Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican and minority leader, said on CBS's ``Face the Nation'' show. ``We've given them an enormous opportunity here, over the last four years, to have a normal country. And our commitment will not be there forever.''

McConnell is openly discussing pulling troops out of Iraq. This man isn't Chuck Hagel. McConnell is a fierce partisan Republican. If he is jumping off the Iraq bandwagon than the White House is in trouble. Bogart and Bergman will always have Paris. Bush will always have Lieberman.

General Petraeus's Letter Against Torture

General Petraeus is the highest serving military leader to come out against torture. His letter is the kind of common sense the Bush administration refuses to listen to.

HEADQUARTERS
Multi-National Force—Iraq
Baghdad, Iraq
APO AE 09342-1400

10 May 2007

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen serving in Multi-National Force—Iraq:

Our values and the laws governing warfare teach us to respect human dignity, maintain our integrity, and do what is right. Adherence to our values distinguishes us from our enemy. This fight depends on securing the population, which must understand that we—not our enemies—occupy the moral high ground. This strategy has shown results in recent months. Al Qaeda’s indiscriminate attacks, for example, have finally started to turn a substantial portion of the Iraqi population against it.

In view of this, I was concerned by the results of a recently released survey conducted last fall in Iraq that revealed an apparent unwillingness on the part of some US personnel to report illegal actions taken by fellow members of their units. The study also indicated that a small percentage of those surveyed may have mistreated noncombatants. This survey should spur reflection on our conduct in combat.

I fully appreciate the emotions that one experiences in Iraq. I also know firsthand the bonds between members of the “brotherhood of the close fight.” Seeing a fellow trooper killed by a barbaric enemy can spark frustration, anger, and a desire for immediate revenge. As hard as it might be, however, we must not let these emotions lead us—or our comrades in arms—to commit hasty, illegal actions. In the event that we witness or hear of such actions, we must not let our bonds prevent us from speaking up.

Some may argue that we would be more effective if we sanctioned torture or other expedient methods to obtain information from the enemy. They would be wrong. Beyond the basic fact that such actions are illegal, history shows that they also are frequently neither useful nor necessary. Certainly, extreme physical action can make someone “talk”; however, what the individual says may be of questionable value. In fact our experience in applying the interrogation standards laid out in the Army Field Manual (2-22.3) on Human Intelligence Collector Operations that was published last year shows that the techniques in the manual work effectively and humanely in eliciting information from detainees.

We are, indeed, warriors. We train to kill our enemies. We are engaged in combat, we must pursue the enemy relentlessly, and we must be violent at times. What sets us apart from our enemies in this fight, however, is how we behave. In everything we do, we must observe the standards and values that dictate that we treat noncombatants and detainees with dignity and respect. While we are warriors, we are also all human beings. Stress caused by lengthy deployments and combat is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign that we are human. If you feel such stress, do not hesitate to talk to your chain of command, your chaplain, or a medical expert.

We should use the survey results to renew our commitment to the values and standards that make us who we are and to spur re-examination of these issues. Leaders, in particular, need to discuss these issues with their troopers—and, as always, they need to set the right example and strive to ensure proper conduct. We should never underestimate the importance of good leadership and the difference it can make.

Thanks for what you continue to do. It is an honor to serve with each of you.

David H. Petraeus
General, United States Army
Commanding

Andrew Sullivan asks an excellent question. Where is the outrage from conservatives that Petraeus is anti-torture?

He obviously doesn't have the stomach to do what's necessary against our enemies. I await calls for his firing from those who argue that we cannot protect the U.S. without torturing and abusing prisoners in wartime. Dr Krauthammer, where's the outrage? Mr Levin, demand a change at the top. Mr Limbaugh, clear your throat. The general is putting the country in grave danger, isn't he? Or so you have argued.

Sullivan is correctly implying is that the (un)righteous indignation extends only for partisan points scoring. The Limbaughs and Krauthammers call the Left soft and appeasers to defend Bush and Cheney's human rights violations. They understand that Petraeus's letter points out the White House's pro-torture policy for the sham it is. It also flies in the face of everything these pundits have said in defense of Bush. They are going to shut the fuck up and wait for this to blow over in the news cycle.