Department of Reality Department

It won't count as an "official acknowledgement" until it penetrates the Maginot Line of denial surrounding the ruling triumvirate of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld and impinges on their clouded consciousness. Military experts told them half a million troops would be needed to stabilize Iraq; now the Pentagon says Iraq is heading precisely where they said it would given the inadequate force deployed by Bushco. Why should any sane person believe Bush will listen now?

Pentagon Cites Spike In Violence in Iraq

The Pentagon report, though consistent with what news media have reported for months, is significant because it represents an official acknowledgment of trends that are widely believed to be driving the country toward full-scale civil war.

"It's a pretty sober report this time," said Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. "The last quarter . . . it's been rough, and the levels of violence are up, and the sectarian quality of the violence is particularly acute and disturbing," he said at a news briefing.

"This is reality catching up with Rumsfeld and the Pentagon," said Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Iraq, war, civil war, Pentagon