A week in Mosul ended on Tuesday, and the week was defined by an inquiry into the relative quiet of Ninewah province -- home to Tal Afar as well as the Mos' -- a sectarian tinderbox turned success story. I got the same answer from General Petraeus, from MND-North deputy commander Brigadier General Francis J. Wiercinski, from Colonel Steph Twitty of the 4-1 Cav, etc., all down the line, civilians as well as officers: the competence and strength of the 2nd and 3rd Iraqi Army Divisions operating in Ninewah, as well as the Iraqi police. Then I leave and Tal Afar becomes a sectarian tinderbox once again, with Shiite police officers contributing to reprisal killings against Sunnis following two devastating suicide bombings.

The depth of sectarian division in Ninewah is impressive to behold, even for a cynic or a pessimist. (More on this in a forthcoming piece.) Yet for the most part, the political process in the province has held, despite an underrepresentation of Sunnis in the provincial council thanks to the 2005 election boycott. What success means for Ninewah is for the process to be the vehicle for sectarian power plays, not for the acrimony to disappear. By all accounts I was able to acquire, American and Iraqi, the security forces have given the process some backbone.

What the Tal Afar massacre shows is how thin a tissue the process is. By Baghdad standards, the twin suicide bombings weren't that much pressure for the jihadists to apply, and they managed to spur a bloodbath that sucked at least some members of the security forces in. The political process, if it's to endure, has to become a zero-sum game -- either you're in, and you buy in completely, or you're out, and fair game for the consequences of being an outlaw. That hasn't happened, to say the least: every important political movement in Iraq retains its military insurance policy. In Ninewah, the process has yielded more routine politics and governance than in most provinces -- I now know at least a little bit about the byzantine process of passing a budget in Iraq -- and yet it still doesn't possess the necessary centripetal force.

Yet Petraeus, Wiercinski, Twitty, etc, have a point. Ninewah does evince more normalcy than most Iraqi provinces. The trouble is that things like the Tal Afar massacre are part of normalcy in the new Iraq. Again, more on this in a forthcoming piece.

No. 351-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2007
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Marcus A. Golczynski, 30, of Lewisburg, Tenn., died March 27 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Golczynski was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Nashville, Tenn.
For more informationin regard to this release the media can contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at (504) 678-4177.

No. 349-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Curtis J. Forshey, 22, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., died Mar. 27 in Homburg, Germany, of a non-combat related illness.Forshey was assigned to the 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 793-9966.

No. 345-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Mar. 25 in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations.They were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Killed were:

Sgt. Jason W. Swiger, 24, of South Portland, Maine.

Cpl. Jason Nunez, 22, of Naranjito, Puerto Rico.

Pfc. Orlando E. Gonzalez, 21, of New Freedom, Pa.

Pfc. Anthony J. White, 21, of Columbia, S.C.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

No. 342-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2007
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Henry W. Bogrette, 21, of Richville, N.Y.

Lance Cpl. Trevor A. Roberts, 21, of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Bogrette died March 22 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.He was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 2nd Marine Corps Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Roberts died March 24 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Oklahoma City, Okla.

For more information in regard to Bogrette the media can contact the 2nd Marine Logistics Group public affairs office at (910) 451-3538. For more information in regard to Roberts the media can contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at (504) 678-4177.

No. 336-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Freeman L. Gardner Jr., 26, of Little Rock, Ark., died Mar. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on combat patrol.He was assigned to the 18th Engineer Company, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

For further information on this soldier, contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152 or (253) 967-0154.

No. 328-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Joey T. Sams II, 22, of Spartanburg, S.C., died Mar. 21 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries suffered when he was pinned between two vehicles.His death is under investigation.

Sams was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Benning public affairs office at (706) 545-3283.

No. 325-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2007
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Dustin J. Lee, 20, of Quitman, Miss., died March 21 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Lee was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Albany public affairs office at (229) 639-5479.

No. 312-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class John S. Stephens, 41, of San Antonio, Texas, died March 15 in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his patrol came under attack during combat operations.Stephens was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.

Sgt. Nimo W. Tauala, 29, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died March 17 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of a non-combat related injury.His death is under investigation.Tauala was assigned to the 209th Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

For more information on Stephens the media can contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.

For more information on Tauala the media can contact the Schofield Barracks public affairs office at (808) 655-4815.

No. 314-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Ryan P. Green, 24, of Woodlands, Texas, died Mar. 18 in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on combat patrol Mar. 15 in Baghdad, Iraq.Green was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

No. 308-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2007
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Anthony A. Kaiser, 27, of Narrowsburg, N.Y., died Mar. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire.Kaiser was assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152 or (253) 967-0154.

No. 307-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Harry H. Timberman, 20, of Minong, Wis., died March 17 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Timberman was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Twentynine Palms public affairs office at (760) 830-5476.

KUWAIT CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- Not that I'm there now -- I have returned to the Flophouse -- but our story takes place in the airport's Zone Two concourse, next to the Harley-Davidson display. KCIA is a gaudy mall that brooks no capacity for embarrassment, but the Harley stall is something else: behind a plexiglass partition are two sportbikes, not even proper motorcycles, and an action shot of a lady, hair all windswept, wrapping her legs 'round these velvet rims and strapping her hands cross these engines. I linger too long.

"Hey, you're going to Dulles, right?" says Captain America. Captain America in this case is a 50ish crewcutted behemoth with a jaw you could park one of the sportbikes on. He's in his R&R gear, which means only a few shades out of uniform: cargo pants, standard-issue desert boots, t-shirt and light khaki jacket. Next to him is a shorter fellow in garish quasi-Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses and bad-muchacho handlebar mustache. For a second I wonder if I've just run into the legendary Jeff "Skunk" Baxter in his national-security incarnation, but then figure I should just answer Cap's question.

"Yeah," I say. "We've got kind of a long wait, huh." We do. It's an hour and a half until the United gate opens for check-in and then another three hours until our flight leaves for Washington. That means there's nothing to do but tool around in front of Harley-Davidson displays and hum Arcade Fire lyrics about no longer wanting to be an American.

"So, you know where our gate is?" asks Cap.

"Not really, no," I say, "but the United terminal is the next one over, and it's got to be pretty simple from there. I mean, we've made it this far, right?" You'll notice that my question doesn't make much sense -- one can easily "make it" through Iraq but get lost in an airport terminal -- but it volleys the conversation forward, so it's served its purpose. I don't like talking to strangers in airports.

"Yeah, I came from Mosul, so." Huh, that's funny, I reply: so did I. It turns out Cap saw me on the C-17 down to Ali al-Salem airbase in Kuwait. "You were the short spastic with the beard who looked like he had no place on military aircraft, and who held up the flight by trying to get to his old seat when we stopped to refuel in Baghdad. Asshole!" he doesn't say, but would have had a right to.

Cap mentions that he's happy to go on R&R. He's an interrogator in Mosul and could use a break. So how am I going to spend my R&R?

"Oh, I'm heading back home. I'm a reporter."

Captain America does not like reporters, and neither does Bucky the Handlebar. "You gonna report some good news?"

It's like the millionth fucking time I've been asked that question, and so I give the standard journalist line: I've seen a lot of interesting stuff, yeah. "Interesting" is what journalists say when we don't want to tell you what our take on something is.

"Well, the troops are tired of bad news." Huh, I say. I don't blame them; so am I. "You know, I'm an interrogator, and can we just stop all this we're-torturing people stuff right now? We're not, OK?"

I don't really know what to say to that. "Uh, good" is the best I can come up with. Cap mentions he worked at Abu Ghraib for a while -- "I went out on a mission, and then I saw it on TV and didn't even recognize it!" -- and I start looking around for the elevator. Instead, it's Handlebar's turn. "It's like with these pukes in Guantanamo Bay. Some of them have gained twenty pounds since they've been there. Some torture!"

"You know what they should show on TV?" asks the Captain. "The beheading videos. So people will get a sense of the difference between us and them."

I'm exhausted and should know better. "You don't think that comes through?" They sneer a fuck-no-you-dumb-liberal sneer.

"Huh, television. Well, good luck, guys, I'm going to get something to eat." It was true, but still an excuse.

BAGHDAD -- For all its thrilling brio, DeLonda Brice's "Wee-Bey walked into Jessup a man, and he gonna walk out one" line never made much sense. Bey confessed to something like eighteen murders ("more if you can get me another pig sandwich"). How was he ever getting out of Jessup? As it turns out, DeLonda was right. All inmates have been transfered out of the now-shuttered Jessup. Presumably Wee-Bey was in chains, but at some point, he must have walked out of the prison. According to the Post, DeLonda knew more about Jessup's future than seven of the Maryland corrections secretary's senior aides.

Meanwhile, I'm not going to Ramadi after all. I'll be going to Mosul tonight, and will be riding along with the Provincial Reconstruction Team up there.

BAGHDAD -- As my chances of getting to Ramadi dwindle -- more on that later -- I should note that despite the Anbar Salvation Committee, the Washington Post assesses that al-Qaeda in Iraq is gaining support from Sunni insurgents, which cuts against my analysis of AQI growing more isolated:

As Shiite militias unleashed a wave of retaliatory kidnappings and killings, a number of Sunni insurgent groups appeared to change their mind about forming at least a marriage of convenience with AQI. Although some experts credit the U.S. military with recruiting Sunni tribal leaders to the government's side in recent months, the tribal forces have so far made little headway against the insurgency.

"In a year, AQI went from being a major insurgent group, but one of several, to basically being the dominant force in the Sunni insurgency," said terrorism consultant Evan F. Kohlmann. "It managed to convince a lot of large, influential Sunni groups to work together under its banner -- groups that I never would have imagined," Kohlmann said. In November, many of the groups joined AQI in declaring an Islamic State of Iraq.

This piece doesn't look so good either, what with its prediction that, post-Zarqawi, AQI would retool as a less sectarian force.

BAGHDAD -- Supposedly this is my last day at CPIC. Supposedly. We'll see. It's been good for getting my writing done, at least. Thanks to CPIC and to all my fellow journalists who've passed through during this time for putting up with me.

In other news, al-Qaeda in Iraq/the Islamic State of Iraq/the Continuously Rebranded Islamic Emirate of Mesopotamia Etc Etc still manages to lose. According to Michael Gordon in the New York Times, in December, al-Qaeda attempted a sectarian offensive in Baghdad, eastern Anbar, western Diyala, and southern Salahuddin. What happened?

But Shiite militias, particularly Mahdi Army operatives, responded with their own offensive, forcing the Sunni militants to retreat.

al-Qaeda and allied Sunni Iraqi jihadists were sufficiently disrupted as to retreat to Sunni areas on the outskirts of Baghdad, where now the U.S. is pursuing them. But what also happened is that when the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias opted to lay low during the early phase of the surge/Baghdad security plan, al-Q had an opening. Hence all the car bombs in Baghdad; the chlorine attack in Ramadi; etc.

This adds another layer to the picture Colonel Sutherland presented this week of Sunnis driven from Baghdad and rampaging in Diyala despite declining sectarian violence in the province. What it suggests is that, basically, the counterweight to the Sunnis provided by the Shiite militias is either diminished or gone, and in its absence the Sunnis have a freer hand. (That presumes that most of the sectarian violence -- murders, kidnappings -- are primarily Shiite actions, and the truth is probably more complicated.) It's certainly possible that some Sunnis have fled Baghdad in the face of the surge, but they're not all just in one place at one time.

Point number one: al-Q showed itself not to be a match for even the Mahdi Army, often described as a ragtag band of inexpert enthusiasts. That's not to hold a brief for the JAM, only to try to understand relative strength between Iraq's combatants. It would be a mistake to assume that JAM will remain stronger just because it repulsed this recent offensive, but the Sadrists have advantages that al-Q doesn't: a huge and enthusiastic base of support and ready recruits, for instance, contrasting with Sunni anti-al-Q forces in Anbar and elsewhere.

Point number two: If al-Q can outlast the U.S. push into the Sunni regions around Baghdad where General Petraeus intends to pursue them, then will any sustained surge that tamps down the Mahdi Army have the unintended consequence of freeing al-Q's hand? And if so, will that create a countervailing tension to allow the Shiite militias to join (surely in a de facto sense) the Anbar Salvation Committee in an anti-al-Q campaign?

My read of Petraeus is that his answer would be no -- that it wouldn't be worth reducing pressure on one threat to create pressure on another. Everyone I've talked to here -- U.S. soldier, Iraqi policeman, Iraqi civilian, journalist -- considers JAM & the Shiite militias a massive long-term threat to the country, and they're right. But it appears that this recognition has its own set of consequences, and hopefully Petraeus can mitigate them.

Spc. Forrest J. Waterbury, 25, of Richmond, Texas, died Mar. 14 near Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire.He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

For further information on this soldier, contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at (912) 767-2479.

No. 300-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Joshua M. Boyd, 30, of Seattle, died Mar. 14 at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device exploded near his unit Mar. 5 in Samarra, Iraq.He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

For further information on this soldier, contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

BAGHDAD -- So it's frivolous, tongue-in-cheek food writing from a war zone you're after, eh? Why, how tasteless and bourgeois of you. I suppose then you'll be interested in this dispatch of mine for my favorite food blog, my friend D*****'s Buddha Drinks Fanta. As you'll see when you click around, it's excellent. Much better written than this creaking thing.

No. 299-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Mar. 15 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit during combat operations.They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Blake M. Harris, 27, of Hampton, Ga.

Staff Sgt. Terry W. Prater, 25, of Speedwell, Tenn.

Sgt. Emerson N. Brand, 29, of Rigby, Idaho.

Pfc. James L. Arnold, 21, of Mattawan, Mich.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

BAGHDAD -- From the Philippines to Vietnam, a question commanders faced every time they bolstered their forces: If the war is going as well as you say, why do you need reinforcements? And if it's not going so well -- despite what you've said -- why should we believe that more troops are the answer? A suspicion of mine throughout Donald Rumsfeld's tenure at the Pentagon was that his reluctance to add forces had something to do with avoiding this schematic, very familiar to him as Gerald Ford's defense secretary. Now with the surge, the dynamic is likely to gear right up.

Yesterday, for instance, we had a teleconference with Colonel David Sutherland of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based in Diyala province, and Lieutenant General Shakir Halail Husain of the Iraqi Army's 5th Division. Sutherland and Shakir are experiencing an increase in attacks "that replicate those normally seen in Baghdad," the colonel said. While sectarian violence is down since July in this mixed province by 70 percent (measured by the number of murders and kidnappings), indirect and direct fire attacks, suicide bombings, suicide car bombings and complex attacks (more than one method of assault) have risen significantly since the New Baghdad Security Plan was put into place.

Basically, it's the belief of Sutherland and Shakir that Sunni insurgents have moved out of Baghdad and into Diyala. So Sutherland requested his own mini-surge: a battalion from the 5th Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division. "Make no mistake," he said, "we will establish security in Diyala."

But that raises the question: if Sutherland succeeds in Diyala, where will the insurgents go next? He conceded that "the movement of terrorists and insurgents around the country is an effect we may have as a result" of securing Diyala, but as a brigade commander in Baquba, "inside Diyala is what I'm concerned about here." It's perfectly understandable from Sutherland's perspective. But get ready to hear the same contention from more and more commanders.

No. 295-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 294-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2007
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Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Adam J. Rosema, 27, of Pasadena, Calif., died Mar. 14 south of Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during recovery operations.Rosema was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours call (254) 291-2591.

No. 293-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Steven M. Chavez, 20, of Hondo, N.M., died March 14 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Chavez's death is currently under investigation.
Chavez was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. For further information in regard to this release the media can contact the Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office at (760) 725-5044

BAGHDAD -- As I wait to see when I can get out to Ramadi, the Times publishes an excellent story that touches on the phenomenon I'm going there to track. In a politically untouchable Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, a former associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi named Shakir al-Abbsi has established an al-Qaeda franchise.

It's a pretty huge deal. To date, al-Qaeda has been notable for having remarkably few Palestinians in its ranks. It makes sense: Israel is right there, with plenty of targets ripe for attack, and no shortage of support among the population for attacks against the Zionist Entity, including ready recruits to replenish those killed by the IDF. Why go global when the enemy is so close? Typically, the Mideastern jihadis who've turned to al-Qaeda have come from countries whose offenses to jihadist sensibilities are less direct, and hence more open to the bin Ladenist narrative that America is the root of all Muslim woes, like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi, Yemen and the Gulf states.

It also helps that Palestinian refugee camps typically don't have the sort of economic stability that lends itself to going global. al-Qaeda isn't the wretched of the earth, as Marc Sageman documents, and so impoverished militants tend to have local focuses to match their capabilities: poor Pakistanis go to Kashmir (and sometimes eastern Afghanistan); poor Palestinians attack in the West Bank and Gaza; poor Iraqi Sunnis fight Shiites and Americans in Iraq; and so on. (Perhaps this has changed somewhat due to the jihadist flights to Iraq and, to a lesser extent, Somalia, but if so, I haven't seen the data.)

If his organization, Fatah al-Islam, proves itself to be more than just the boastings of a 51-year old (!) jihadi, al-Abbsi will upend this pattern. Another Palestinian refugee camp has been exporting jihadis to Iraq, but the Times describes al-Abbsi as growing disillusioned with killing American soldiers: it's "no longer enough to convince the American public that its government should abandon what many Muslims view as a war against Islam." In this manner, al-Abbsi's gone several steps of grievance away from the conditions within the refugee camps and hatred of Israel.

The test will be whether this means he has difficulty attracting capable recruits with the means to try and reach the U.S.; or whether a shift is taking place within the Palestinian refugee camps, effectively bin-Ladenizing hatred of Israel to require war against America. Homeland security isn't the greatest thing, but, without being sanguine, it's still fairly difficult to get into the U.S. if you're from a Palestinian refugee camp, even admitting of the prospects for quality forged documentation. That's why jihadist theoreticians like Abu Musab al-Suri urge a focus on radicalizing Muslims already in the west. If he can't pull off his desired attacks, his membership will probably want to move on, either to more effective and localized jihadist pursuits in Israel or Iraq, or, for the less committed, out of the jihadi game entirely.

Not to write my story before I've reported it, but Abbsi is going up against a series of phenomena that past jihadis have found difficult to overcome in a sustained fashion. None of this suggests that Fatah al-Islam isn't dangerous, but it does suggest that Abbsi will be something of a test case for al-Qaeda's future strength as it figures out what works and what doesn't.

No. 288-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2007
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Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pfc. Angel Rosa, 21, of South Portland, Maine, died March 13 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Rosa was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

For further information in regard to this release the media can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.

BAGHDAD -- Due to my myriad natural flaws, I'm all over the place, and so it goes for my Iraq writing. By popular demand, I'll start aggregating links here, and so here's the latest: me and Brigadier General Saleh, chief cop of western Baghdad, for Tapped; scenes from an Iraqi Police checkpoint, for IraqSlogger (a great, great website for all things Iraq, BTW); an appreciation of a particularly awesome soldier, and his fellows, for the Guardian's Comment Is Free; and the question of the hour -- Is Our Surges Working? -- for Talking Points Memo, which has kindly lent me space as it takes a slight breather from pwning the rest of the media.

As for now, looks like I'll be in the Green Zone for at least another 24 hours as I wait to get to Ramadi. I'll be using the downtime to get over a rather nasty cold that's decided to pick a particularly inconvenient moment to afflict me. Helping me in this regard is Orhan Pamuk's excellent My Name Is Red (thanks to Kriston).

One final thing, of which Sue from Rock, Star and Tedium has reminded me. Soldiers at Camp Liberty are crazy about MySpace. Not just for keeping in touch with people back home, but with each other. At the computer center in the MWR tent, there are color printouts advertising soldier's MySpace accounts, saying things like "Check out Iraq SportsCenter on MySpace! Don't be afraid to be friends!" Beats going up to people IRL, I suppose. It appears good old fashioned internet anomie can survive even the most aggressively social environments.

BAGHDAD -- I suppose there are better uses of my time now than putting together a Facebook account, but there's a post-lunch calm in the storm of the Combined Press Information Center. A fine fellow named Ned who writes for the Times of London asked if I knew when I'd be getting to Ramadi. Sadly, I had to reply that CPIC doesn't yet have an embed slot for me out there. This morning, I was told to check back at 5 o'clock to learn if anything's changed, so for the next few hours, it's Facebook for me.

Across the street is the famous al-Rashid hotel. It's an eerie feeling to enter the place. Ornate as it remains, it emits a certain sepulchral air, like the Saddam-era Information Ministry that used to work there remains a ghostly presence. It was nearly empty when I arrived for lunch with two Iraqi friends-of-a-friend, whom I'll call S and A. I'm told the place is a favored hangout for Saleh Mutlaq and his coterie, but the dining room of the enormous hotel restaurant -- it used to be a wedding hall -- didn't feature any famous faces.

Both S and A feel the security plan is going to turn everything around. People are just too exhausted to keep killing one another, they said -- expect results by the late summer. S asked me if I favored withdrawal, and I told her I did. Polite as she is, I could tell that was the wrong answer for her: S expressed admiration for Ahmed Chalabi -- who else could have deceived America into liberating Iraq? she enthused -- and mentioned that during the 2004 election, she e-mailed the White House to tell President Bush that she would vote for him if she was eligible.

In response to a commenter on one of my Tapped posts, I asked S and A what they made of General Saleh's contention that Iraq's at the mercy of the Lost Generation born during the Iran-Iraq war. Not surprisingly, they felt it was overheated, but contained an element of truth. The roots of the country's present sectarianism, A said, are rooted not in some ancient struggle between Shiite and Sunni but in the disintegration of the nation as an ideal. Saddam ruined the very idea of national solidarity through his brutality and corruption, A said. Through two futile wars and a devastating era of sanctions, Iraqis learned to associate Iraq with Saddam, and so their hatred of Saddam transfered to a hatred of Iraq -- or at least reduced national identity to a more circumscribed sense of identity, located in tribe or sect or family. As a result, Iraq exploded with the invasion, and patriotism has become an outmoded virtue.

If that's the case, then for S and A to expect the surge to re-knit Iraq (or at least Baghdad), then one of two things would need to be true. Either the surge would have to be a cataclysmic, epochal national experience; or it would need to wipe out the Lost Generation entirely. But it's at least barometrically revealing that the Baghdad security plan is something that Iraqis as well as Americans are clinging to as a repository of hope. Explaining to S why I had little faith in the plan was awkward: it felt to me as if I was casually taking her hopes away. I felt I owed her an honest answer to her question, but still I felt callous. Is this premature guilt for advocating withdrawal?

No. 286-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
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DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class Douglas C. Stone, 49, of Taylorsville, Utah, died Mar. 11 in Iraq of wounds suffered from a non-combat related incident.His death is under investigation.

Stone was assigned to the 96th Regional Readiness Command, Salt Lake City.For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Army Reserve 96th Regional Readiness Command public affairs office at (801) 656-4133.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- It's a hot afternoon at al-Karkh Traffic Police headquarters in Khadimiya, easily the hottest in the last week. In a darkened office of the sunny building, Major Lawrence (his real name; really!) is answering inventory questions for Lieutenant Anthony Howell of the 92nd Military Police Battalion. Lawrence, who looks like a fat Bashar Assad, has the monotonous job of tracking logistics for the traffic police, and his office has the perfunctory whiteboard filled with statistics about shifts, weapons, ammunition, everything. (Whiteboards are necessary for accounting when you have only a few hours of electricity for your computers every day.)

The half-hour-long stats check bogs down to the point where Lawrence starts committing a no-no from the U.S. perspective: asking the Americans for stuff. Howell and his fellow MPs want Lawrence to go through their own chain of command for their inventory needs, both to test the efficiency of the Iraqi system and to roll back any sense of dependency. But now Lawrence has his hand out, and he can't close it. He starts out asking Howell for flack jackets -- diplomatically, Howell says he'll see what he can do, but no promises -- and soon he's passing out his ballpoint pens to show Howell and his colleague, civilian police adviser Jon Moore, how Iraqi pens smudge and tear paper. "How about getting me some American pens?"

The meeting is about to break when Lawrence's warrant officer, Tarek, walks in. Tarek, thin as a skeleton, has the leathery face of a thirty-year veteran officer and the dessicated teeth of a fifty-year chain smoker, and sure enough he moves over in front of Lawrence's fridge and lights a Miami-brand cigarette. Do you know Tarek? Lawrence asks. They do, and everyone exchanges hellos. "He's a great officer, a longtime veteran," he says through the battalion translator, Achilles. "The only thing is he smokes too many cigarettes." Ha-ha; everyone laughs. Howell and Moore exchange a can-we-go-now look.

But Lawrence isn't finished. "He likes sex, too. You want to check out his cellphone? Lots of porno movies!"

Howell and Moore exchange another look. This one displays much more alarm. Suddenly this is no typical inventory meeting. Lawrence, grinning, taps Achilles, who arches an eyebrow. Achilles wants to make sure Lawrence means for him to translate what he's saying. He does. Achilles, himself bewildered, says, "He wants to know if you guys can have sex in Iraq."

MP training has not prepared the 24-year old lieutenant from West Lafayette, Indiana, for a sex chat with an Iraqi police bureaucrat. "Umm," he says. That's not really allowed.

You're kidding! Lawrence says through Achilles. "How do you do it, guys? What the fuck?"

Howell is blessed with being quick on his feet. "Lots of prayer." Moore, a terminally polite middle-aged Tennesseean, is chuckling to himself like he's trying to survive a plane crash through the power of positive thinking.

Lawrence keeps talking and Achilles keeps translating. "He was in the Iraqi Army, and when they'd be abroad, the officers would give them this white powder, to put in food, or in tea. It's called kafour; I don't know what that is in English, it's an Arabic term..." Moore nods to me: "I see where this is going." Achilles continues, "You put it in tea, it is to stop your orgasm -- your erection." Howell starts shooting me looks. I'm just scribbling as fast as I can.

"You've been to Iraq three times," Lawrence says to Howell, "and you haven't had sex? You're an American citizen! How can you do that?" Actually, it's Howell's second tour.

Elderly Tarek breaks in. "If I'm away from home for just three days, I'm ready to eat my wife!"

Look, Lawrence says. "I spent ten days here at once, not long ago. It wasn't secure enough to go home. When I got back, I ate a lot of dates and honey" -- an aphrodisiac -- "and it was like Viagra! My wife, she was screaming! 'Ah! No more!'" He continues to share that when security improved somewhat, he was able to vary the days he got to come home, and would startle his wife. "She was like, 'What the fuck?'"

Mercifully, Lawrence shifts the subject to how the promotion system for officers works in the U.S. Army. But before we're finally about to leave, he says he feels like Howell and Moore are his brothers. "I hope you guys go back to the States and get everything you want." Achilles doesn't need to explain what Lawrence means.

Sgt. Thomas L. Latham, 23, of Delmar, Md., died March 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee.He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

For more information on this soldier, contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.

No. 268-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Dennis J. Veater, 20, of Jessup, Pa., died March 9 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Veater was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, Marine Wing Support Group 47, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Wyoming, Pa.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Marine Forces Reserves public affairs office at (504) 678-4177.

No. 266-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 09, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Mar. 7 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations.They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Webb, 28, of Winchester, Calif.

Spc. Shawn P. Rankinen, 28, of Independence, Mo.

Spc. Michael D. Rivera, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

For further information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.

No. 264-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 08, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of six soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Mar. 5 in Samarra, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their unit during combat operations.They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Justin M. Estes, 25, of Sims, Ark.

Staff Sgt. Robert M. Stanley, 27, of Spotsylvania, Va.

Sgt. Andrew C. Perkins, 27, of Northglenn, Colo.

Spc. Ryan M. Bell, 21, of Colville, Wash.

Spc. Justin A. Rollins, 22, of Newport, N.H.

Pfc. Cory C. Kosters, 19, of The Woodlands, Texas.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.

No. 263-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 09, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Mark W. Graham, 22, of Lafayette, La., died Mar. 7 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on combat patrol Mar. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq.Graham was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours, (254) 291-2591.

No. 260-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 07, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Darrel D. Kasson, 43, of Florence, Ariz., died Mar. 4 in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle at Bayji, Iraq.He was assigned to the 259th Security Forces Company, Phoenix.
For more information on this soldier, contact the Arizona Army National Guard public affairs office at (602) 267-2550.

No. 258-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 07, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Mar. 3 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle.They were assigned to the 630th Military Police Company, Bamberg, Germany.

Killed were:

Sgt. Brandon A. Parr, 25, of West Valley, Utah.

Sgt. Michael C. Peek, 23, of Chesapeake, Va.

Sgt. Ashly L. Moyer, 21, of Emmaus, Pa.

For more information on these soldiers, contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4859.

No. 252-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 06, 2007
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Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Raul S. Bravo, 21, of Elko, Nev., died March 3 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Bravo was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Camp Pendleton public affairs office at (760) 830-5476.

No. 248-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 05, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Christopher D. Young, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif., died March 2 in Safwan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, San Pedro, Calif.

For further information on this soldier, contact the California Army National Guard public affairs office at (916) 854-3304.

No. 247-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 05, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Navy Casualties

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today the death of two sailors who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lt. Cmdr. Morgan C. Tulang, 36, of Hilo, Hawaii, died from apparent natural causes March 2, 2007, in Kuwait.Tulang was assigned to U.S. Central Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Hospitalman Lucas W.A. Emch, 21, of Kent, Ohio, died March 2, 2007, when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated in his vicinity while conducting combat operations in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq.Emch was a hospital corpsman assigned to 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

For further information related to this release the media can contact Navy public affairs office at (703) 697-5342.

No. 245-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 05, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died March 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle while on combat patrol.They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Paul M. Latourney, 28, of Roselle, Ill.

Spc. Luis O. Rodriguez-Contrera, 22, of Allentown, Pa.

For further information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993.

No. 240-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 04, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Karl O. Soto-Pinedo, 22, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, died Feb. 27 in Baghdad from wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. Soto-Pineda was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

For further information related to this release, contact the 1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office at 011-49-611-705-4859

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Arcade Fire have made it to Camp Liberty, after a fashion: MSNBC is broadcasting on the huge flatscreen in one of the recreation centers, and as I typed an e-mail I heard them play something from Neon Bible, which they announced as the top iTunes download. As far as I could tell, no one cared. There are three soldiers in the row in front of me engrossed in World of Warcraft, and no Arcade Fire hype can sway them from the duties of their guild.

So, what's with the Iraqi Police? I have a bit on that up on IraqSlogger here, and today met with the senior police commander of the Karkh Directorate, which encompasses the western half of the city. (East of the Tigris is the Rusafa Directorate.) Like the commanders I interviewed in the Slogger piece, Brigadier General Saleh blames a lot of the sectarianism within the police on the Ministry of Interior, but some of the MPs I'm with deride that explanation as buck-passing. Unlike the other commanders, Saleh blames Iraq's problems on the "generation born in the '80s, during the war with Iran." The kids have gone feral, and he laments that there's practically nothing he can do about it. When I asked him if that meant Iraq was destined to get worse and worse, he replied, "I believe so."

One of the MPs I rode with today is a sergeant named Gary Comeau from Boston. Goddamn, what a good guy. He spent his morning collecting police stats at Karkh and correcting IP mistakes at checkpoints in Mansour -- like the daydreaming gunner who let U.S. advisers get between him and a detainee -- and the afternoon bullshitting with me about the Yanks and the Sox. He served six and a half years in the Army, and then returned to Massachusetts to become a state trooper and a National Guardsmen. He volunteered to come to Iraq. He couldn't take "reading about an 18-year old at Walter Reed while I was home eating a steak dinner, or a free cup of coffee 'cause I'm a trooper. It's a good job, you know, but this, this is a calling."

Nearby me is a briefing for a bunch of soldiers who are getting ready to go home on leave. "Sex," the instructor advises. "Just take it slow." Lots of laughter. Later on: "Don't think about VBEIDs, RPGs, any of that," an instructor advises. "Just enjoy yourselves." I don't think he meant during sex, but it's still good advice.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- In general, the 57th Military Police Company, which is attached to the 89th Military Police Brigade -- and, for the next several days, an annoying reporter -- is upbeat about its mission here. A rare active-duty MP company, its roughly 170 members were all stationed in Korea until last summer; all volunteered to come to Baghdad and train Iraqi police. But if one thing has them worried, it's Bob Gates's announcement today that an additional 2200 MPs are on their way. The 57th has only three more months left on its tour. Now, with departure in sight, there's a serious prospect of an extension. Making the prospect all the more unpalatable is the fact that the company won't leave Iraq for Korea: its new home will be in Hawaii, about as far from Baghdad as humanly possible, in every sense of the term.

The 57th's officers give the surge high marks, which is the unanimous perspective of everyone at all levels of command I've spoken with since arriving. That's understandable: in a cynical sense, no one is going to want to dump on the new plan, but on a more basic level, it has resulted in much fewer attacks on U.S. troops in Baghdad, which is an unambigously good thing. Yet there's something else at work -- an emotionally fundamental desire to attribute cause and effect to the American side for a change. Whenever I ask about the Sadrists and other death squads lying low in hopes of waiting out the surge, as good guerillas will, everyone quickly ticks off that caveat. And then they go on discussing the momentum that the surge has generated, the deterrent effect of having more U.S. forces out on patrol in the city, the germination of a return to normality among Iraqi citizens -- all, again, unalloyed good things if they can last.

The idea of a Sadrist pause is very clearly an awful thing to contemplate -- and when I realized that, I think I got a bit of insight on why the surge is so important to troops here. More valuable than the fact of not being shot at -- as obviously valuable as that is -- is a sense of initiative, something the U.S. hasn't had since, arguably, the deadly spring of 2004. The surge is as emotionally important for the troops here as it is tactically or strategically valuable, as it offers them the chance to take hold of the war once again. And if they can take hold of it in Baghdad, then perhaps in Anbar, and then perhaps in Salahuddin, and on and on until victory, whatever definition of victory you want to use. One officer related with a heavy heart how, before the surge, he saw apathy and resignation on the part of his superiors when the Baghdad morgue would bring in the day's reports of another 80 corpses: there was simply nothing they could do. For a soldier, that's the bitterest taste a man can have in his mouth.

At a Pentagon presser yesterday, General Pace basically dismissed the large-scale bombings that have continued throughout the surge. It's a sentiment that I've heard here as well, and it makes little sense without understanding the surge's impact on the initiative question. Car bombs, officers here believe, are forever -- that's terrorism for you -- but sectarian murders don't need to be. From the perspective of stabilizing Iraq, that's simultaneously sensible and absurd. But from the perspective of gaining a sense of initiative, it might be the hardest-won ground in Baghdad, and no one will let it go without a very brutal fight.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The "What Gives You The Right..." series is under new lyrical management.

This evening, I had dinner at the U.S. Embassy with an acquaintance of mine from Fort Leavenworth who'll I'll call Major S. Major S is a tremendously thoughtful person and someone who I'm sure will make an exemplary flag officer if he so desires. Under Petraeus at Leavenworth, his knowledge of and interest in counterinsurgency really found a home. About a year ago, he was assigned to Baghdad; now, I joked, it's clear Petraeus can't live without him.

"So, Spencer," he asked me, "what's up with this casualty series on your blog?" I explained that it had frustrated me for a long time to receive DOD casualty announcements in my inbox and not have a space to compile them, and I wanted to add a word of anger about the loss of life as a commentary about the stakes in the war. We've always tried to be candid with each other, and he told me that both the profanity in the lyric offended him, as did his inference that soldiers came across in the lyric -- and, subsequently, my use of it -- as thoughtless, manipulated automatons as well as professionals who made a choice to serve their country.

We went back and forth for a bit, as I didn't see it his way. But then he told me that his brother is serving on a difficult combat assignment, and if he saw his brother's name under that headline, he'd be angry and feel that I was manipulating his brother's death.

And so I lost all desire to argue the point. The last thing I want is to cause additional pain to a grieving family. I offer my apologies to anyone who's taken offense. Thanks, Major S, for opening my eyes, but the truth is I shouldn't have had to be told that what I was writing is offensive, or even potentially offensive, to have seen that it could could be. I want the series to be a commemoration with a word of protest, not to have political commentary overwhelm the memorial. So, from now on, I'm going to use a different Stars lyric that, I hope, better captures my intention.

No. 244-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 05, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
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DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Gould, 28, of Longmont, Colo., died March 2 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Gould was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Camp Pendleton public affairs office at (760) 725-5044.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- You can write out an ALL-CAPITAL CITY, First-letter-capitalized Country Name dateline just like the New York Times.

A Sky News reporter here in the Combined Press Information Center media lounge listened to my minor horror story of getting here; smiled; and informed me that everyone's got something similar. Traveling from Baghdad International Airport to the Green Zone via military escort is by far the safest way to go to the safest place in non-Kurdish Iraq, but it's by no means direct or predictable.

Case in point: after disembarking from the transport aircraft that took me here from Kuwait at around 3 pm yesterday, I caught a bus to Camp Striker on the city's outskirts and waited for the Rhino, a grey, squat armored bus that provides the most reliable transport to the Green Zone. It leaves pretty late for security reasons, but with no chance of getting a helicopter flight that day -- all of them where booked solid -- it was the Rhino for me. So, in anticipation of a long wait, I grabbed a copy of Norman Mailer's Executioner's Song from off the recreation-center shelf. (Don't believe the hype.) Unfortunately, they announced, many hours later, that the Rhino wasn't running. Ah well.

So, contingency plan. On a whim, and not wanting to waste a night at Striker, I called the helicopter company. Miraculously, a space materialized on a helicopter, provided that I could get to the rendezvous point in about an hour. No problem, you'd think: buses run throughout the camps, so I got on one headed in the right direction and breathed a where-eagles-dare breath. Within a few minutes it was knocked out of me. African security guards told me my orders didn't authorize me to go through a particular sector, and so I needed to turn around -- only the buses back to Striker had stopped running. The road was completely desolate, with only one tiny concrete outpost for shelter, and that wasn't going to be a space for me. Defeated, I eyeballed the trash-can fire the guards had lit, and hoped they'd at least let me open my bedroll nearby.

And then Iraq reversed itself. A bus materialized and took me back to Striker. Bleary at this point, I headed to my assigned tent with an embittered French military reporter who considered his three-week trip pointless. As soon as I started bedding down, a KBR employee showed up and told me that the Rhino was back on. Success! At 1: 30 this morning, we boarded up and drove along Route Irish -- the once-fearsome road from the airport, now completely silent, presumably due to the curfew. I was safely ensconced at the media center, where I'm typing this now, by three.

Credentials hanging around my neck, I've learned that ... I can't get to my embed today, and will need to get back on the Rhino and head back to Striker tonight. In the morning, allegedly, I'll link up with my escort at Striker, and then the embed will actually begin. Bear with me.

Megan McArdle had a dream about me a few weeks ago. The two of us were locked in an epic gastronomic showdown, and what bothered her, she explained to me at the Raven shortly after having the dream, was that the ending was inconclusive. It was all very strange. I had little idea that Megan cooked. What's more, as far as I knew, she had only sampled my food once, and that was little more than a poker snack.

But I know a challenge when I hear one, and so my back got up and my upper lip stiffened. Well, then: we're going to throw down, Iron Chef style. Word circulated around the bar -- you're having a cooking contest? When? Can I be a judge? -- and soon enough people were egging us on. This could be no idle barroom boast: pride was at stake. Without much care to the details of the enterprise, we reasoned that I'd cook in my own Punk Rock Kitchen, Megan would cook around the corner at the Casa de Libertarios, we'd each prepare three dishes featuring cheese as our special ingredient -- blogging, as well as this whole idea, being cheesy -- and we'd determine whether my liberalism or Megan's libertarianism dominates the culinary world as well as the world of ideas. Oh, and one more thing: we'd convince Bob Wright to let us put it all on BloggingHeads. Then we continued drinking.

Amazingly, Bob, generous guy that he is, let us have our way with his format. And on Sunday, with assistance from Ezra, Will, Julian, Matt, Lindsay, Sommer, Kate, Kriston, Kerry and Dave, this crazy scheme came together.

A word about Megan. The day before the battle, she, Bob and I joined on a conference call to plot the logistics of this rather cumbersome scheme. I was as scatterbrained as Michael Midgley. Megan, by contrast, was on point. She didn't make a single suggestion without thinking through every particular. I knew then and there what a fierce competitor she'd make, and she didn't disappoint. I stand by my food, but she put together a great menu.

No. 240-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 02, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.They died Feb. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle.They were assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka, 30, of Oceanside, Calif.

Cpl. Lorne E. Henry, Jr., 21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Spc. Jonathan D. Cadavero, 24, of Takoma Park, Md.

For more information on these soldiers, contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.

Babak Rahimi of Jamestown spits hot fire with this paper on Moqtada Sadr's increasing closeness with Iran. Much of this substantiates what's already been out there: Iran wants to hedge its bets among Iraq's Shiite leaders; Sadr wants to bolster his military strength against his rivals, and Iranian munitions and cash are very good for that; and Iran has an interest in keeping the Mahdi Army as a deterrent force against a potential U.S. attack, as Sadr can open up a new front against the Americans.

What's perhaps the most interesting about Rahimi's analysis is his provocative use of nationalism to explain the reported fracturing of the Mahdi Army. According to Rahimi, the closer Sadr moves to Iran, the more he forfeits his nationalist credentials; and there's enough of a nationalist current within the Mahdi Army (or JAM, for Jaish al-Mahdi, as we should start calling it) to splinter the Sadrist movement in unpredictable ways:

It still remains to be seen as to what extent al-Sadr will remain loyal to Iran. SCIRI, al-Sadr's arch rival, receives greater financial and military support from Tehran, and this could certainly cause major problems between Iranian officials and al-Sadr. Due to internal Shiite rivalries, it is not clear what the outcome of the alliance would be.

The problem is not limited to competition between SCIRI and the Sadrists. The most dangerous consequence of Tehran's close ties with al-Sadr is that he could face powerful challengers within his own militia who accuse him of getting too intimate with the Iranians. Sadrist splinter groups and offshoot Mahdi Army leaders have already paved the way to the formation of new radical militias. This is potentially dangerous as these splinter militias can radicalize the Shiite community with their messianic ideology of the new millennia through revolution and violence.

Rahimi quotes an anonymous JAM militiaman as saying the Sadrist ambition is to "become Iraq's Hezbollah" -- defending the country from the "occupying forces and provid(ing) security from internal enemies," while providing premier social services for its constituency. What's unclear is how this JAMmie understands Hezbollah: part of an Iranian crescent of influence? Or as an authentic voice of nationalistic Shiism? If Rahimi is correct, the differences in this interpretation will form the fault line within the Sadrist movement.

No. 237-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 01, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Chad M. Allen, 25, of Maple Lake, Minn., died Feb. 28 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Allen was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Pfc. Bufford K. Van Slyke, 22, of Bay City, Mich., died Feb. 28 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Van Slyke was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Saginaw, Mich.

For more information in regard to Sgt. Allen the media can contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.

For more information in regard to Pfc. Van Slyke the media can contact the Marine Forces Reserves public affairs office at (504) 678-4177.

According to the director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, Baghdad won't have a full 24 hours of daily electricity until 2013. Well, sort of -- to "catch up with that demand" for power should occur in six more years; he didn't say that by 2013 Baghdad would necessarily have an electrical grid capable of providing power for a full day every day. Just don't expect 24-hour service until at least a decade after the invasion of Iraq.

Some of you know that I've been seeking an Iraq embed since November. Well, yesterday, my request was granted. I fly to Kuwait on Saturday and shortly thereafter head to Baghdad, and I'll be spending most of the month over there. Now through Saturday is going to be ridiculously frantic as I make sure I remember to bring everything I'll need.

Posting is going to be... irregular. I don't really know what kind of internet access I'll have, and I also don't want to step on the toes of the magazines that are sponsoring this trip. That said, what I'll try to do is give a flavor for Baghdad (and the other places I'll be) in the spirit of this rather unbuttoned blog, and do it with some frequency. Sometimes I'll just post something brief so those I inadvertently forget to e-mail will know nothing's happened to me.

This embed is going to be one of the most exciting things I've done so far. The anticipation, adrenaline and nervousness kept me up most of the night, and I'll just try my best to do right by the people whose stories I'm trying to tell and by the readers who lend me their trust.

No. 230-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. William J. Beardsley, 25, of Coon Rapids, Minn., died Feb. 26 in Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.Beardsley was assigned to the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Fort Stewart public affairs office at (912) 767-2479.