This is pretty funny from Chris Bowers:

In September of 2007, President Obama refused to promise to remove all troops from Iraq by January 20th, 2013. Now, he has promised to remove them all by December 31st, 2011. That is a positive shift. This is huge for no residual forces proponents.

Heh. Now I support President Obama's policy, and always understood the residual forces "issue" to be nonsense (I think Richardson did not even know what he was saying when some seized upon it as a rallying cry.) But I like Chris' declaring victory on the "issue" - so residual forces for 3 more years is "victory" now for the anti-"residual forces" folks. Well, good for Chris. Me, I think the declaration of a date certain for the end of our combat mission in Iraq is the big win here. But to each his own.

Speaking for me only

NYTimes:

President Obama heads to one of the nation’s most storied military bases Friday morning to unveil plans to pull most troops out of Iraq by August 2010. . . .“The combat, current combat mission in Iraq will end on August 31, 2010,” a senior administration official told reporters . . . At that point, the U.S. forces remaining in Iraq will undertake a new mission, a more limited mission.”

. . . After August 2010, the Obama plan will leave behind 35,000 to 50,000 of the 142,000 American troops now in Iraq to advise and train Iraqi security forces, conduct discrete counterterrorism missions and protect American civilian and military personnel working in the country, including State Department reconstruction teams.

Unlike some on the progressive side, who railed vehemently against the concept of residual troops (Bill Richardson became their favored candidate during the primaries because he said he was against leaving residual troops), I always thought this approach was reasonable. I support President Obama's policy. For an intelligent opposing view, here is Robert Stein. I've added a poll question below on whether you support or do not support President Obama's Iraq policy.

Speaking for me only

Sgt Michael Leahy Jr, a 28 year old army medic, was found guilty of the murder of four Iraqis at a courts-martial trial in Germany today. He faces up to life in prison and a dishonorable discharge.

Leahy was one of a group of soldiers who took detainees away after it was decided there was not enough evidence to charge them. Blindfolded and gagged, the four were then shot and dumped in a canal.

Leahy admitted killing one of the Iraqis. His lawyer's argument:

His lawyers argued that the stress of being in a conflict zone for so long meant he was unable to reason properly. ...His lawyer, Frank Spinner, argued that Leahy went along with the killings because he was dazed from a lack of sleep.

"The tragedy resulted not so much by design but rather the working of fear, danger and madness attendant on many combat operations," Mr Spinner said in his closing arguments.

The reporter who threw his shoes at former President Bush appeared in court this week. He told the judge:

"I am charged now with attacking the Prime Minister's guest," he said stoically, making his first public remarks since the incident. "We Arabs are famous for being generous with guests. But Bush and his soldiers have been here for six years. Guests should knock on the door. Those who come sneaking in are not guests."

After his appearance he was whisked away by Iraqi officials. The judge took the matter under advisement. The issue: Whether's Bush's visit was an official visit:

Zeidi, 30, who is charged with assaulting a foreign head of state, posited that Bush's Dec. 14 trip to Baghdad was not an official visit by a foreign dignitary because he arrived to the country without prior notice and didn't leave the Green Zone, which at the time was still under American control.

I have to confess to intellectual dishonesty by omission regarding the "surge" in Iraq. I have never spent much time stating my view that the surge, despite the date showing a drop in violence, is futile (after we leave, Iraq will, imo, plunge into civil war.) The reason why is because, for forwarding the policy I favor, withdrawal from Iraq, the surge has certainly worked. We will withdraw from Iraq in no small measure because they surge is perceived as having "worked." Matt Yglesis, pointing to this news report of the murder of 30 pilgirms by a suicide bomber in Iraq, correctly notes:

I have no doubt that had we instead pursued a policy of strategic redeployment starting in January 2007 and the exact same situation had played out, that the facts on the ground would be cited as evidence that the doves were wrong to leave behind an Iraq torn by violence, riven by factionalism, and governed by Iran-linked parties.

Precisely. That is why the "surge" "worked" for those of us who favor withdrawal from Iraq.

Speaking for me only

This is what "redefining the middle" looks like. McCain, Graham and Lieberman, the people who lost the 2008 election in a landslide, write:

Our shared, central task now is to work together to support a responsible redeployment from Iraq . . . [W]e are optimistic that President-elect Obama will be able to fulfill a major step of his plan for withdrawal next year . . .

I think we need to be clear on something though - Iraq is headed for civil war after we leave. This has always been the case imo. But unless we stayed forever, or even if we did, this was inevitable. So when "the commanders on the ground" tell us that this will happen, that should not stop the withdrawal. After all, McCain, Lieberman and Graham now support withdrawal from Iraq.

Speaking for me only

Jailed Iraqi Journalist , Muntader al-Zaidi has asked for a pardon. It's Christmas. Give him one.

The brother of Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush says he's been beaten in custody, a charge denied by the Iraqis.

Muntadar al-Zaidi has allegedly suffered a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC.....Earlier, Dargham al-Zaidi told the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Baghdad he believed his brother had been taken to a US military hospital in the Iraqi capital.

Demonstrations in support of al-Zaidi continue and huge amounts of money are being offered for the shoes.

Here at home, the National Lawyers Guild has started a campaign to support him through charitable giving to Americans: [More...]

Human Rights Watch released a report Sunday on the quality of criminal justice in Iraq.

This 42-page report documents how thousands of defendants in Iraq wait months or even years before facing a judge and hearing charges against them in the Central Criminal Court (CCCI), and cannot pursue a meaningful defense or challenge evidence against them. A US-Iraq security agreement that takes effect at year's end will transfer detainees held by the US-led Multinational Force to Iraqi jurisdiction, adding to the court's cases.

The 42 page report is available here (pdf).

Among the findings: [More...]

President Bush made a suprise visit to Iraq today. He said the war is not over, but "it is decisively on its way to being won."

As the two leaders shook hands in Maliki's private office, an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the US president, shouting: "It is the farewell kiss, you dog." Bush was not struck.

Soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. After Saddam's statue was toppled in Baghdad in April 2003, many onlookers beat the statue's face with their soles.

The New York Times adds: [More...]

So you think the new President will end our involvement in foreign wars? I never did, I just thought he'd trade one war for another, Iraq for Afghanistan.

It seems like this will be the case. The AP reports our Marines will be moving from Iraq to Afghanistan:

The top U.S. Marine general says there is a growing consensus among defense leaders to send a substantial contingent of Marines to Afghanistan, probably beginning next spring, while dramatically reducing their deployments to western Iraq.

Get ready for the narco-terror war. When they don't capture terrorists in Afghanistan, they'll bust the drug wholesalers and transporters and say they got terrorists.

No change here, other than one of geography. Whatever happened to "Bring the Troops Home?" Guess that went out of fashion after Vietnam.

Update: DOJ announcement here. A sixth defendant, Jeremy Ridgeway pleaded guilty to these charges (pdf) brought by Information rather than Indictment. The factual basis for his plea is here (pdf).

Five Blackwater guards charged in federal court in Washington with manslaughter and use of a machine gun a crime of violence -- the killing of Iraqis -- surrendered today in Utah.

Seventeen Iraqis were killed in the September 2007 shooting. Witnesses said the heavily armed U.S. contractors opened fire unprovoked, killing innocent motorists and children at a crowded intersection. Blackwater, the largest security contractor in Iraq, says its guards were ambushed by insurgents while responding to a car bombing.

Why Utah? For one thing, Paul Cassell, who lives in Utah is on the defense team. [More...]