I have a lot of faith (no pun intended) in the reporting from the Middle East that is done by the Christian Science Monitor, which a Christian Scientist relative began sending us a few years back. They seem to post most of their articles on their website, which I highly recommend. I find the CSM as objective as the best European papers. With the news of a new outbreak of fighting in Najaf, this article gives needed perspective. We may, as President Bush claims, be "Turning a corner" in Iraq, but we probably should be asking... a corner to where? Quagmire City? Strategic Hamlets?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0805/dailyUpdate.html?s=ent2
One section of the article seems particularly poignant:
Knight Ridder recently reported on how many of those American troops are now openly questioning their mission in Iraq, and "the leaders who sent them there."
'I'm tired of every time we go out the gate, someone tries to kill me,' said Staff Sgt. Sheldon Rivers. Asked whether most Americans have an idea of how bad the security situation is in Ramadi, Sgt. Maj. John Jones said recently that he was annoyed every time he heard analysis about Iraq from politicians and journalists on TV. 'When people come over here, where do they stay? In the Green Zone. I call it the Safe Zone,' he said, referring to the secure area in Baghdad where the government is housed. 'They miss the full picture.'