STRAW TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

An astonishing leak in London from the office of the foreign secretary, Jack Straw. It’s in the form of prep-notes for a meeting with the prime minister, Tony Blair. According to the Telegraph, Straw argues that

lack of political progress in solving the linked problems of security, infrastructure and the political process are undermining the consent of the Iraqi people to the coalition presence and providing fertile ground for extremists and terrorists.

He wants more troops and more resources. The Telegraph hints the British initiative is also designed to buttress the White House’s resolve in providing more troops. Let’s hope it works. For the record, I see nothing wrong with the U.S. seeking U.N. help and support in Iraq, even if it means losing some control. What matters now is rescuing Iraq from the logic of chaos and terror. And for the record, worrying about the drift in Iraq is not a function of going wobbly. Not worrying – and coming up with all sorts of facile defenses of what is clearly going awry – that is going wobbly.

THE ENEMY REGROUPS?: More troubling news from the war. This time, in Afghanistan. On the other hand, here’s another report, picked up by an intrepid blogger, that brings better news. Whom to believe? Maybe the truth is that the Taliban are resurgent, due, in part, to our poor follow-through in Afghanistan, but it is just as true that those soldiers who are there are doing a great job, given their limited numbers and resources. Which is why we need more resources for rebuilding Afghanistan and more troops to police it. C’mon, Dubya. Follow-through; follow-through. Some of us are worried not because we want you to fail, but because we want you to succeed.