Obsidian Wings

Hugh Hewitt Anticipates the Parson.

Now, if you just feel like rolling your eyes at Mr. Hewitt and his latest column about Senator Kerry (International Man of Apology), that's your own lookout. I'm mostly interested in the last paragraph, as it's the most likely to actually be able to spark a real discussion:

... He "leads" the party that invented the Torricelli Option, and folks like Daschle have to be worried about a November wipe-out. A "presumptive nominee" isn't the nominee. Who was that lady on Larry King this week?

The value of a dollar.

Let's run the numbers, shall we?

At the onset of war, the Pentagon's chief financial officer said that postcombat operations in Iraq were expected to cost about $2.2 billion a month (the monthly "burn rate"). By early June, however, the Pentagon adjusted that forecast to $3 billion/month.

The average monthly burn rate from January 2003 to April 2003 for U.S. forces in the Iraqi theatre was $4.1 billion. This period encompasses most of the large-scale fighting in Iraq.

The actual monthly burn rate for July 2003, the early period of "postcombat" operations, was approximately $3.9 billion a month.

Today's monthly burn rate is $4.7 billion. That's more than we were spending, on average, at the "height" of the fighting.

Anecdotes are useful. Media reports are important. Always, however, follow the money.

Those SCREECHING Sounds You Hear...

...are just the goalposts for our post-occupation plans for Iraq being moved.

U.S. Moves to Rehire Some From Baath Party, Military

The U.S.-led coalition is already bringing back senior military officers to provide leadership to the fragile new Iraqi army, with more than half a dozen generals from Hussein's military appointed to top jobs in the past week alone, U.S. officials said. Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, chief of Central Command, is working to identify other commanders to bring back, officials added.

"The decisions made a year ago have bedeviled the situation on the ground ever since. Walking back these policies is a triumph of the view in the field over policies originally crafted in Washington," said a senior U.S. official involved in Iraq policy. Ironically, the two policies were the first actions taken by Bremer, who brought them from Washington, when he arrived in Baghdad to assume leadership of the U.S-led occupation last May.

The administration says neither move is a reversal, but foreign policy experts said it will appear that way in practice to Iraqis. "We are reviewing implementation of policies to look at how to better balance the desire to employ resident expertise with the need for justice," said National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack.

Money line in bold. Reactions should be particularly interesting since "The committee charged with "de-Baathification" is headed by Ahmed Chalabi, a Shiite Muslim and controversial politician on the Governing Council."

Stay tuned.

Knee-Jerk Cheerleading

You keep thinking even he's got to stop believing it's not bad news some time. But apparently, Andrew Sullivan's not quite there yet.

To some, I suppose, the hideous slaughter of so many innocents in suicide bombings in southern Iraq is another reason to worry that the occupation is doomed. I have a different response. It reminds me why we are in this war in the first place. It reminds me of the nihilist, fascist forces that killed thousands in New York and Bali and Madrid.

And, of course, each new atrocity is an opportunity to drudge up his flypaper strategy:

That isn't easy anywhere - but better to have drawn these elements out and to fight them in a struggle for Arab and Muslim democracy than to play constant, fitful defense at home.

Like most repetitive, monotonous things, it becomes just so much white noise after a while. This kind of misplaced lecturing, however, reveals a callous lack of understanding:

If the Iraqi middle does not and cannot see that these elements have no future in mind for Iraq but theocratic state-terror, then we truly are in trouble.

I suspect that right about now, the Iraqi middle is simply worried about staying the f@*k out of harm's way. Really, what the hell can Sullivan mean by that? The Iraqi middle has no military or real police control, no meaningful vote, no options at all but to wait for the US to do something...and yet he's challenging them to stick it out through the bombings, to not be frightened, to be defiant without security or any clear indication of what kind of government they actually will have in a month and a half..."Don't you waver or cave in...don't you let us down."

Does he just spew this rubbish on autopilot or what?

The Jesurgislac Memorial Silly Thread

...because he's indicated that he'd like to see some silly news, and frankly so would I. I start this off with a blind leap into Google with the word silly: Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names. Highly lame; enough, in fact, to get laughs out of me. Post your own below.

Moe

Security Obligations and International Law

Constant Reader Bob McManus caught my attention with a comment on another thread:

...in not providing adequate security for Iraqis I consider it a slam-dunk case that the Bush administration are war criminals. Shinseki's pre-war statements prove prior intent, and I would consider most European countries justified in arresting Bush within their borders.

He provided this from the Human Rights Watch site in defense of that statement:

Security in Occupied Areas

Question: What are the duties of an occupying force to provide security?

An occupying power has a duty to ensure public order and safety in the territory under its authority. Under customary international law, this duty begins once a stable regime of occupation has been established. But under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the duty attaches as soon as the occupying force exercises control or authority over civilians of that territory -- that is, at the soonest possible moment (a principle reflected in U.S. Army Field Manual 27-10).

Military commanders on the spot must prevent and where necessary suppress serious violations involving the local population under their control or subject to their authority. The occupying force is responsible for protecting the population from violence by third parties, such as newly formed armed groups or forces of the former regime. Ensuring local security includes protecting persons, including minority groups and former government officials, from reprisals and revenge attacks.

Occupying forces may have to be deployed to secure public order until the time local or international police can be mobilized for such responsibilities. Unless such forces are facing hostilities, the use of force is governed by international standards for law enforcement. That is, only necessary and proportionate force may be used and only to the required extent.

Asked what part of that the US is in violation of, he wrote "the first sentence."

I've been arguing that we're not living up to our obligations here, but is the shortage of troops, the clear lack of security, actually a crime?

UPDATE: old title was unclear

Note to GOP: Be Careful What You Ask For

Kerry's Military Records Show a Highly Praised Officer

With Republicans questioning his service in Vietnam, the Democratic candidate for president posted more than 120 pages of military records on his campaign Web site. Several describe him as a gutsy commander undertaking a dangerous assignment in Vietnam and detail some of the actions that won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.

Nothing about dental records though...I hope the GOP keeps up the pressure until he releases them.

And the Militant Lesbian Mice* are Rejoicing

In the "I mean if they can send one male mouse to the moon, why can't they send all of them?" section of the Feminist Rodent Gazette:

Just ahead of Mother's Day, scientists have found a way to cut dads out of the picture, at least among rodents: They have produced mice with two genetic moms — and no father. It is the first time the feat has been accomplished in mammals.

*It's OK...I've got a license.

If you can read this...

...TypePad isn't hiccupping any longer.

Whimsy's end.

Car Bombs Leave 60 Dead in Southern Iraq

BASRA, Iraq - A series of car bombs ripped through police stations and an academy during rush hour Wednesday morning, killing at least 60 people, including schoolchildren, and wounding scores in the bloodiest attacks to hit this mainly Shiite city since the U.S.-led occupation began a year ago.

The official casualties from this will undoubtedly change as more information comes in; prepare for the death toll to go upwards. In the meantime... my prayers and good wishes for the victims of this tragedy and my utter contempt for the cowardly murderers who set off the bombs.