Here It Is

The article that's been causing all the hubbub over the last couple of days: Sy Hersh's Offense and Defense in the New Yorker. Basically, everyone in a position to take action to produce a realistic and more winnable war plan, didn't. Rumsfeld was clearly driving this train, he arrogantly drove it into the ground, and none of the generals was willing to put his stars on the line to stop him. (Thanks to Ish for the link.)

Fight Amongst Yourselves…

You know things must not be going exactly as planned when top Republicans start bitching about the White House, and senior administration officials start taking swipes at each other. Yet this is exactly what's happening.

As you might expect, the ongoing battle between State and the Pentagon is the source of a lot of the tension. Rumsfeld doesn't think Powell knows how to fight a "modern" war:

"Rumsfeld wants to put the 'Powell Doctrine' into obsolescence," the Bush adviser said, referring to the military strategy outlined by Powell when he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In its broadest sense, the doctrine — which guided Pentagon thinking during the Gulf War 12 years ago — calls for decisive force, clear goals and popular support to ensure success.

Of course, strict adherence to the "Powell Doctrine" would have precluded the current operation in Iraq on at least two of three counts, which is probably why the Pentagon and the rest of the neocon hawks don't like it.

And Powell doesn't have a lot of respect for Rumsfeld's deputy, Paul Wolfowitz:

Powell also made a comment that was widely interpreted in official Washington as a jab at Wolfowitz, a frequent nemesis who did not serve in the military.

"When war comes, that's [casualties] the price that has to be paid," Powell said on NPR. "And it's paid not by intellectuals but by wonderful young Americans who serve their country and believe in the cause for which they are serving."

Something tells me it's going to be a long spring for all the president's men.