Iraq is proposing a deal to the United States.  It could potentially reduce the US presence and offer future US President's a Middle Eastern enclave and protectorate to secure a steady flow of oil for American SUV's.

The story was confirmed by Douglas Lute the President's adviser on the war.  

In Washington, President Bush's adviser on the Iraqi war, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, confirmed the proposal, calling it "a set of principles from which to begin formal negotiations."

Yesterday there was an AP wire story put out about Camp Arifjan contracting office and it was picked up by the Army Times.  This appears to be yet another chapter in the events that have unfolded out of the contracting office at Camp Arifjan.  There seems to be a high level of suicides amongst field grade contracting officers.  The above mentioned AP story in the Army Times highlights the apparent suicide of Major Gloria Davis.  It rings eerily familiar to another contracting officer that "accepted" bribes and found himself magically transported to Baghdad to face up for his crimes where he killed himself.  The thing that baffles me though is why the press is just now picking up on this story and the story last month.

Some of you probably have already read this story by Ned Parker of the LA Times, but I have not found any blogs on this site about the matter.  The latest details are espoused in two separate stories on the 8th and 9th of November by Ned Parker.  On one hand I think I will ultimately be disappointed by the hopes that further awareness will be shed on the whole "baiting" issue.  So far, my prediction of having all three individuals found innocent of murder and lesser charges being trumped up seems to be bearing fruit.  Allowing the media spotlight to shine on the Asymmetric Warfare Group and their policies is something military certainly does not want to encourage.  Despite my disappointment in the lack of interest in the "baiting" issue I think this case can also be instructive in terms of ethics and the manner in which it functions in Iraq, and the war zone.

There is an AP wire story out that has a nice happy charming story about three thousand families that have returned to Baghdad since it is safer now.  There are probably many things wrong with it, but there is one angle in particular you won't find covered in the story.  I will tell you what that angle is in a minute but here is the basic punchline of the scoop.  

BAGHDAD - In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped, the government said Saturday.

Safety in Baghdad at last!  Here is the rest of the story

The Army is set to review several hundred contracts that were inked at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.  This seems to be related to an incident that occurred last year, and recently was reported on by the Wall Street Journal.  I blogged about the Strange circumstances surrounding the death of LTC Gutierrez as a result of reading the article.  In Short, the LTC had reported possible corruption to higher, and eventually ended up as a "suicide" with some very strange circumstances surrounding his death.  Anyways, it now appears as though the Army is reviewing a large number of contracts cut at Arifjan.  From the AP
reports we have what follows down below.

The US embassy in Baghdad is offering cash payments to some of the victims of the September 16, 2007 shooting in Nisoor square.  On a whole, they are not going over well.

Family members of several victims turned down the compensation, out of concern that accepting the funds would limit their future claims against the North Carolina-based security contractor and its chief executive, Erik Prince. Others said that the money being offered -- in some cases $12,500 for a death -- was paltry and that they wanted to sue Blackwater in an American court.

I am not a genius.  I clearly don't know anything about military affairs.  Being a gambling fool, I would wager a bet or two about Iraq.  War doesn't make any sense.  I am not here to make sense about it, but merely to reveal the untidy little statistic in USA Today that reveals a lot more about a flawed strategy than a turn towards "victory."  Are you ready?  

The WSJ has a very odd story on the recent death of a LTC Gutierrez in Kuwait.  It is a day old, so if someone else has blogged this, then by all means let me know, and I will delete.  The plot line of the story follows along one of the key interest areas of mine, and that is the recent love affair of the Pentagon and Defense contractors.  There are quite a few dogs that don't hunt though, in this plot line, and perhaps its just not me to smell something fishy.  It seems that this ought to be one more thing to be investigated by Henry Waxman and his committee.  Follow me on the Jump for all the details.

I know there are some of you who do not like the YouTube diaries, and if you are one of those people you probably don't want to read any further.  I have found what appears to be a video that documents the sniper "baiting" program.  It was posted on the same day that Pentagon Sources would not comment on, or denied the existence of such a program.  While it is always difficult to verify the authenticity of the video, and gather feedback from the actors in many of the online war videos, it is worth taking a look at the claim.  

There has been a whole spate of Blackwater Diaries here on Kos.  It seems to be a phenomena that has captured the public interest.  The latest update on the whole Nisoor Square shooting from the Washington Post, has already been covered here, by DKOS diarist tamandua.  It did not get a lot of attention so I will reiterate a few points here.

The El Paso Times has a story about Army expansion that was based off of some recent comments by Secretary Gates.  El Paso, Texas is home to Fort Bliss and is one of the posts due to expand and welcome the 1st Armored Division from Germany.  I am not so sure all of you want a complete history of the 1st Armored Division, so here is the applicable quote:  

In the DoD's 2005 BRAC report, DoD recommended relocating 1st Armored Division from Germany and to Fort Bliss, TX. Relocating 1st Armored Division units and echelons above division (EAD) units to Fort Bliss would transform it from an institutional training installation into a major mounted maneuver training installation and would avoid overcrowding and overuse at other installations.

It appears as though someone in the FBI has a little sense and recognizes when the appearance of a conflict of interest does exist.  Yesterday, the FBI released the above Press Release in response to all the mayhem coming out of the mouths of wahoos like Darrell Issa.   Mike Carney at a USA Today blog previously covered this.

Since, hearing about the shooting in Nisour square, in Baghdad there has always been something in the back of my mind that bothered me.  The government's explanation just hasn't washed, or as we have found out now, Blackwater's explanation.  The thing that bothers me most is that the "official" government line flies in the face of conventional wisdom from the streets of the battlefield.  That is, the mere presence of civilians at the scene of an "alleged" ambush, although feasible, contradicts common battlefield historical experience in Iraq.  What could I possibly be talking about?

If Vietnam was a Television war, than Iraq is a Digital War.
The War Literature is still being formed, and will continue to be written until all the Veteran's who fought the Iraq War are dead.  In many ways, I think the way this war will be considered and rendered by history is still to be determined.  Soldiers have changed many of their habits, as society has changed.  Ten years ago, if a "Joe" would have been given some free time, it would not have been long before a deck of cards was broken out and a game of spades or hearts would have commenced.  Today, when given some free time, soldiers crack open their laptop computers and begin searching for wireless internet.  This is all part of the changing face of war.  Mail call is no longer the big event it used to be, and now soldiers receive email, and make their treks to internet cafe's and the like.  The effect of this change other than stating the obvious above is yet to be adequately measured.

Erik Prince is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee On Tuesday, October 2, 2007.  I am going to skip the cheesy introductions and dive straight into the point.  The Honorable Henry A. Waxman is the Chair of the committee and you can jot him a short note by clicking here, and letting him know how you feel about the Blackwater situation in Iraq.  The list of names that compose the rest of the committee members can also be contacted to let them know how you feel about the issue.  It did not appear to me that Republican members had a  link to their names, but if you want to take the time to tell them how you feel, I would do that after you have written your Democratic members.  While not everyone will have their representative on the committee, you can pick one close to your district, or write the chairman.

The first of three snipers accused of murder in the soon to be infamous "baiting" program has been found innocent.  The story of SPC Jorge Sandoval's acquittal is found in tomorrow's New York Times.  I suspect that in all likelihood, the murder charges will be dismissed from the other two men as well, and lesser charges will be plead in order to keep the secrecy of the now leaked baiting program.