"Generals Offer Sober Outlook on Iraqi War"

Thursday's NYTImes:

American military commanders in Baghdad and Washington gave a sobering new assessment on Wednesday of the war in Iraq, adding to the mood of anxiety that prompted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to come to Baghdad last weekend to consult with the new government.

In interviews and briefings on Wednesday, the generals pulled back from recent suggestions, including some by the same officers, that positive trends in Iraq could allow a drawdown in the 138,000 American troops late this year or early in 2006. One senior officer suggested Wednesday that American military involvement could last "many years."

What a tragedy. What a waste. What a crime. No wonder the FBI just announced that Dear Leader was endangered by that grenade in Ukraine last week. Nice try, but can even that keep his approval rating above 40? And does the Pentagon have enough generals to recall this lot and send a still-pliant crew?