Abizaid, Rumsfeld Slam Kennedy

Notice the headline from the NYTimes: "U.S. General Sees No Ebb in Iraq Rebels' Fight." This interpretation could only come from the media. Anyone who watched the exchange between Sen. Kennedy and Rumsfeld/Abizaid would have noticed that they harshly rebuked the Senator for his view that Iraq was a "quagmire."

The Times also could have said "Iraqi Prime Minister Pleads for No Deadline." Or, it could have said, "Gen. Abizaid pleads for Congress to Continue Support for Soldiers." But the Times has no interest in spreading the news; it would rather try to disprove a point made by VP Dick Cheney, who recently said he believed the insurgency was in its last throes. Incidentally, Gen. Casey also said that he believed that, due to its lack of focus and support, the insurgency was not "winning," but that was irrelevant to the times.

One thing was clear: Gen. Abizaid stated that the troops' morale is in jeopardy because of Congressional talk here in the U.S.:

General Abizaid had just returned from a visit to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, where he said he was surprised at how many American commanders and soldiers asked whether the military was losing support at home for their missions overseas. "It was a real concern," he said.

Perhaps we should take Abe Lincoln's advice:

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged."