I'm not planning to post in the"Shadows and Fog" series over the weekend, in part because the army office where I work is deluged with visitors who are keeping us busy. I'll post again on Monday morning. In the meantime, this is a link (in PDF format) to a remarkable article by British Army Brigadier Nigel Aylwin-Foster that was recently published in a U.S. Army journal, Military Review. My sense is that Aylwin-Foster, who served in Iraq, is largely correct in most of what he writes about American military operations there, despite the very loud protests of his American colleagues in the higher pay grades. It's well worth reading if you're interested in what the U.S. Army -- and I mean the army, not the entire military -- is doing in Iraq.

But there is also this little problem, for whatever it's worth.

Also take a look at this short essay by a newly retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who served in Iraq, which makes one point that resonates with Aylwin-Foster's discussion of army operations:"I think what has made this war really ugly, in addition to our controversy over the rationale –- Saddam Hussein’s alleged ties to terrorists and WMD –- is the way we conduct operations. We go kinetic, kinetic, kinetic."

Chris Bray - 1/17/2006

Thanks for the kind thoughts, and be careful up there. I'll read "Imperial Grunts." Next up is "Assassin's Gate," which I probably should have read a couple months ago.

Brian McNerney - 1/17/2006

Chris--I too am serving now in the Mideast, in my case Iraq. I am reading your thoughtful comments, and appreciate the rational voice you bring to this discussion. I have become less forgiving of the approach to prosecuting the war than you, mainly because I feel betrayed by the lack of ingenuous rationale, and other ongoing developments that suggest to me a serious credibility gap. I also would recommend to you Robert Kaplan's new book to supplement your otherwise excellent reading--"Imperial Grunts."

I also share your respect for the quality of the soldiers here serving on the ground. I am in awe every day of the courage, the commitment, and the uncomplaining will they exhibit.

Keep at it.
bcm