Escalation Update

A large piece of news yesterday was that the escalation in Iraq isn't working. Via Juan Cole, a CNN correspondents summary of the Pentagon report just released:

' A top U.S. commander tells CNN that three quarters of Baghdad simply is not under the control of U.S. or Iraqi security forces. Brigadier General Vincent Brooks says just one quarter of Baghdad is in a controlled state. Brooks said control means U.S. and Iraqi forces are able to maintain physical influence over a specific area, preventing its use by the enemy.

It's been three months since the security crackdown began. More than 20,000 U.S. troops have poured into the city. But Brooks says there is still a crucial problem -- the lack of qualified Iraqi police.

In some areas, they are still loyal to death squads and militias. In other areas, there just aren't enough police. In neighborhoods such as Amiriyia and West Rashid, U.S. troops are still having to go back into those areas that they had cleared.

Attacks against U.S. troops in Baghdad are on the rise. Military intelligence officials are analyzing this video from the Islamic State of Iraq claiming to show Russian grenades being thrown at U.S. troops. Analysts say these grenades may be designed to burst into high temperature fires on impact. One official calls it a new threat. '

There's really no surprise here. We, the brilliant, genius and well-trained civilian military analysts could have told you this.

Seriously, Juan Cole points out the interesting fact that now Russians are being blamed for arms sent to Iraq. Funny that this comes on the heals of Putin and Bush's playground scruffle over missles in Europe.