link through Col. Lang

MILES O'BRIEN: You know, General, I've got to say, I'm having a hard time seeing the signs of success. We don't have much evidence that the Iraqis are stepping up to the plate. The U.S. is having to provide whatever security there is. We're approaching now 2,000 fatalities, lost U.S. men and women, and I see what I see are an increase spade of violence and I see a country on the cusp of civil war. How is that success?

MYERS: Well I think there's nobody that thinks they're on the cusp of civil war.

MILES O'BRIEN: Really?

MYERS: The Shia community no, of course not, Miles. The Shia community is not at war. The violent Sunni extremists. There are four provinces in Iraq and the city of Baghdad, a very important place, obviously, where the violence occurs. It does not occur in the rest of the country. There has been we've had elections. That is progress. We're going to have a we have a draft constitution. That is progress. We have a constitutional referendum coming up. Even the Sunnis I mean, we're talking about 80 or 90 percent of the Iraqi population, according to polls, say they're going to vote in the constitutional referendum and then they'll vote in the national elections that follow in a couple of months. That is progress. Iraqi security forces are in the fight. They're losing twice . . .

MILES O'BRIEN: Are they really, though? Are they really there?

MYERS: Absolutely. I mean all you have to do is look at the casualty figures for Iraqi security forces. You'll see that they're twice the rate or three times the rate of coalition forces. They're absolutely . . .

MILES O'BRIEN: Well, that's an odd way of measuring the success of their ability to fight.

MYERS: It what it measures is their courage and their willingness to stand up and fight for their country. Just like our troops did in 1776. I hope you've read the book. This is not easy building countries. It's not easy building democracies. In 1776, George Washington was down at one point to 3,000 rag tag troops. And, yes, they were dying. And if people had lost hope then, this country that we call America wouldn't be. And so our men and women know that. They're the ones over there. I just visited about a month ago, August, I visited the troops in Iraq. Let me tell you, they know the stakes are high. They know that what they're doing is securing this country, as well as that region. They know they can win. They know they can win. And I know they can win and they will win.

What a hack, and just a while ago Rummy said he (Myers) may be the best Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair ever!!! Better than Marshall? I highly doubt that unless he does something very special in the coming days...

Oh wait... He's gone, stepped down. Col. Lang takes him to task as well...