the devil is in the details

[winterbadger]

Success or failure of our strategy in Iraq depends on our ability to understand what is happening on the ground. But two pieces in the media suggest that the administration is once again twisting the public record to suit its policy choices, instead or looking at the facts evenhandedly and modifying its actions based on its results.

Is al-Qa'ida in Iraq really the powerful force it is made out to be? This analysis suggests not

Is there a drop in civilian violence? The MNF-I command says yes; GAO, DIA, CIA, and the AP say no

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with you in all particulars here.

What bothers me *so* much about the news from Iraq is that instead of keeping us informed about what's going on, the current administration has proven over and over that it will spin any facts to suit its agenda. This causes what ought to be conversations about best practices to be turned into screeds about ideology. The BS gets so thick that nobody can do anything.

Look at yesterday's report by General Jones. In any sane world it would be accepted on its merit and followed. But because he's implied that some poor decisions have been made it's going to be dropped into the same hole that the 9-11 Commission Report went into.