What’s the point of an alliance if you are not allowed to train together?:

“Since the end of last year, some in the government have been adamant that the RSOI and Foal Eagle drills must be postponed and have talked to the USFK about the issue,” a government source said Monday. “They judged that North Korea was likely to be sensitive to the joint drills to the point where that would impede progress in dialogue between the two Koreas.”

But the sources say USFK leaders would not accept political considerations as a valid motive for delaying the long-scheduled drills, and since many in the Korean military also felt the suggestion was unreasonable, the government last Friday decided to abandon the plan and go ahead as if it never existed. It could not be confirmed on Monday whether the initiative came from the National Security Council or the Unification Ministry, both of which tend to be considerate of North Korean sensitivities.

At least the USFK leaders are willing to blow off any ideas from the Unification Ministry. Can you imagine the uproar if UFL was cancelled? At least USFK is looking out for all those Field Grade Officers that come to Korea from the states banking all that TDY money and going on Itaewon shopping sprees.

It looks like North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il has made a rare international trip to China:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has traveled to China on a rare trip outside his country, a South Korean military intelligence official said Tuesday.

The official told The Associated Press he received the information from intelligence inside China. The official spoke on condition his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the information.

“We confirmed he went to China,” the official said. “We don’t know why.”

China’s foreign ministry said it could not confirm the report and had no immediate comment.

He probably went to China to complain about be called names by Condoleeza Rice and President Bush putting sanctions on Chinese Banks that were found passing US money counterfeited in North Korea.

Some of you may remember the last time he went to China what happened. He almost got assassinated by a huge explosion that leveled a large portion of the city Ryongchon. If only we could be so lucky that it succeeds next time.

I wonder if the fact the US Marines are training Japanese soldiers in amphibious warfare tactics will be twisted to mean that the US is training the Japanese military to attack Dokto?:

Japanese soldiers left for the United States on Tuesday to conduct training with the US Marines simulating the recapture of an island from enemies, an official said. It will be the first joint war game between the allies premised on an invasion of an isolated island off Japan, an official of Japan’s Defense Agency said on customary condition of anonymity.

About 125 troops from Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in California will hold month long exercises at Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to the defense official. In the scenario, soldiers will infiltrate a captured island by boat and retake it after exchanging fire with the enemy, the official said, though no live ammunition will be used during the exercise.

The Japanese media is reporting that the exercise is in preparation of a Chinese attack on the remote southern Japanese islands:

Local media reports have said the joint exercise is aimed at showing a military “presence” in small southwestern Japanese islands off Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu in view of China’s military expansion in recent years. The official said he could not comment on those reports.

Rest easy Koreans, I don’t think there is an invasion fleet in the world that can defeat the Army of drunk ajummas that visit that island.

Hat Tip: Coming Anarchy

The plug has finally been pulled on the KEDO Project in North Korea:

The United States and South Korea have withdrawn their last personnel from the site of two partly-built North Korean light-water reactors after a US-North Korean nuclear deal was officially scrapped.

A 57-strong final contingent, including a US citizen and 56 South Korean engineers and workers, returned by ship to South Korea’s east coast from North Korea on Sunday afternoon, the unification ministry said on Sunday.

The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) officially terminated the project two months ago amid a fresh nuclear standoff.

The two light-water reactors were promised, along with replacement fuel supplies, under a 1994 US-brokered deal to end a crisis over North Korea’s nuclear weapons efforts.

What have these 57 engineers been doing there the last few years?

A Korean lobbyist was recently arrested in Houston on charges related to the UN Oil for Food Program Scandal:

Michael J. Garcia, the United States attorney in Manhattan, announced that Mr. Park was arrested in Houston by F.B.I. agents, but provided no information about how he was found. Mr. Park’s whereabouts had been unknown since he was first indicted on April 14, 2005, for his role in the program.

According to new charges unsealed yesterday, Mr. Park began working with an Iraqi-American businessman, Samir Vincent, as early as 1992 to represent the interests of Saddam Hussein’s government in negotiations at the United Nations to set up the program. Mr. Park and Mr. Vincent met twice in 1993 with a high-ranking United Nations official, the criminal complaint says.

Federal prosecutors charged that Mr. Park had a direct role in influencing the course of the negotiations that created the oil-for-food program in April 1995. The program was set up to alleviate the effects of international sanctions against Iraq by using proceeds from sales of Iraqi oil to buy food, medicine and other supplies for the Iraqi people.

The complaint says that Mr. Park never registered in Washington as a foreign agent. He is charged with acting as an unregistered agent, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He will appear Monday before a federal magistrate in Houston, Mr. Garcia’s office said.

The complaint says that Mr. Park was paid at least $2 million, most of it in cash, by the Iraqi government. Much of the cash was delivered to Mr. Park in New York in Iraqi diplomatic pouches, the complaint says.

All of these people that secretly took money from Saddam at the expense of food and medicine for the Iraqi people are truly scumbags. It is a shame that this is not a bigger story and more heads are not rolling. What I find most interesting about this, is how did a Korean receive a direct role in creating the Oil for Food Program?

CNN has an interesting article about the culture within Korean universities in regards to their teachers and laboratory professors. What I found most interesting about this article was the amount of corruption within the universities in regards to tenure:

Cutthroat competition for a professorship sometimes involves large sums of money changing hands.

In the first eight months of last year, prosecutors penalized 61 professors and administrators, mostly for receiving bribes in exchange for granting tenure. In 2004, prosecutors punished 23 professors and officials on similar charges as well as misappropriation of funds.

In one case last year, a university chancellor received $4 million from 42 candidates in exchange for appointing them as professors, prosecutors said.

Pretty amazing, $4 million dollars. Makes you wonder how many other people have also been taking bribes and getting away with it.

Just goes to show the good old Kim Jong Il will do anything to make a buck:

Stalinist North Korea is demanding billions of dollars in compensation for alleged atrocities against its prisoners of war and spies formerly held in South Korea, a demand which has sparked outrage among politicians in Seoul.

There was no official response from the government to the unprecedented demand. But the main opposition party Sunday highlighted the North’s own rights record, which often comes in for strong international criticism.

The formal damages complaint was filed to the South’s human rights commission through a border office Friday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

This demand was so outrageous the (anti)-Unification Ministry actually condemned the comments:

A senior unification ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity that “the North Korean complaint is not worth being given any serious consideration.”

This still goes to show what cowards the Unification Ministry is when someone has to condemn this outrageous demand anonymously, but at least they did condemn it.

Undoubtedly the former prisoners were tortured at some point in South Korean prisons, but if North Korea wants compensation than how about first releasing the thousands of South Korean prisoners currently in wallowing in North Korean gulags. Outrageous, but I am curious to see how President Roh responds to this.

Concluded May 22, 1882; Ratification advised by the Senate January 9, 1883; ratified by the President February 13, 1883; ratifications exchanged May 19, 1883; proclaimed June 4, 1883.

The United States of America and the Kingdom of Chosen, being sincerely, desirous of establishing permanent relations of amity and friendship between their respective peoples, have to this end appointed — that is to say, the President of the United States –R.W. Shufeldt, Commodore, U.S. Navy and his Commissioner Plenipotentiary, and His Majesty, the King of Chosen, Shin-Chen, President of the Royal Cabinet, Chin-Hong-Chi, Member of the Royal Cabinet, as his Commissioners Plenipotentiary, who, having reciprocally examined their respective full Powers, which have been found to be in due form, have agreed upon the several following articles:

Article I. 

There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between the President of the United States and the King of Chosen and the citizens and subjects of their respective Governments.  If other Powers deal unjustly or oppressively with either Government, the other will exert their good offices, on being informed of the case, to bring about an amicable arrangement, thus showing their friendly feelings.

Article II.

After the conclusion of this Treaty of amity and commerce, the High Contracting Powers may each appoint Diplomatic Representatives to reside at the Court of the other, and may each appoint Consular Representatives at the ports of the other, which are open to foreign commerce, at their own convenience.

These officials shall have relations with the corresponding local authorities of equal rank upon a basis of mutual equality.

The Diplomatic and Consular Representatives of the two Governments shall receive mutually all the privileges, rights and immunities without discrimination, which are accorded to the same class of Representatives from the most favored nation.

Consuls shall exercise their functions only on receipt of an exequatur from the Government, to which they are accredited.  Consular authorities shall be bona fide officials.  No merchants shall be permitted to exercise the duties of the office, nor shall Consular officers be allowed to engage in trade.  At ports, to which no Consular Representatives have been appointed, the Consuls of other Powers may be invited to act, provided, that no merchant shall be allowed to assume Consular functions, or the provisions of this Treaty may, in such case, be enforced by the local authorities.

If Consular Representatives of the United States in Chosen conduct their business in an improper manner, their exequaturs may be revoked, subject to the approval previously obtained, of the Diplomatic Representative of the United States.

Article III.

Whenever United States vessels, either because of stress of weather, or by want of fuel or provisions cannot reach the nearest open port of Chosen, they may enter any port or harbor, either to take refuge therein, or to get supplies of wood, coal and other necessaries, or to make repairs, the expenses incurred thereby being defrayed by the ship’s master.  In such event the officers and people of the locality shall display their sympathy by rendering full assistance, and their liberality by furnishing the necessities required.

If a United States vessel carries on a clandestine trade at a port not open to foreign commerce, such vessel with her cargo shall be seized and confiscated.

If a United States vessel be wrecked on the coast of Chosen, the local authorities, on being informed of the occurrence, shall immediately render assistance to the crew, provided for their present necessities, and take the measures necessary for the salvage of the ship and the preservation of her cargo.  They shall also bring the matter to the knowledge of the nearest Consular Representative of the United States, in order that steps may be taken to send the crew home and to save the ship and cargo.  The necessary expenses shall be defrayed either by the ship’s master or by the United States.

Article IV

All citizens of the united States of America in Chosen, peaceably attending to their own affairs, shall receive and enjoy for themselves and everything appertaining to them the protection of the local authorities of the Government of Chosen, who shall defend them from all insult and injury of any sort.  if their dwellings or property be threatened or attacked by mobs, incendiaries, or other violent or lawless persons, the local officers on requisition of the Consul, shall immediately dispatch a military force to disperse the rioters, apprehend the guilty individuals, and punish them with the utmost rigor of the law.

Subjects of Chosen, guilty of any criminal act towards citizens of the United States, shall be punished by the authorities of Chosen according to the laws of Chosen; and citizens of the United States, either on shore or in any merchant-vessel, who may insult, trouble or wound the persons or injure the property of the people of Chosen, shall be arrested and punished only by the Consul or other public functionary of the United States thereto authorized, according to the laws of the United States.

When controversies arise in the Kingdom of Chosen between citizens of the United States and the subjects of His Majesty, which need to be examined and decided by the public officers of the two nations, it is agreed between the two Governments of the United States and Chosen, that such cases shall be tried by the proper official of the nationality of the defendant, according to the laws of that nation.  The properly authorized official of the plaintiff’s nationality shall be freely permitted to attend the trial, and shall be treated with courtesy due to his position.  he shall be granted all proper facilities for watching the proceedings in the interest of justice.  If he so desires, he shall have the right to present, to examine and cross examine witnesses.  If he is dissatisfied with the proceedings, he shall be permitted to protest against them in detail.

It is however mutually agreed and understood between the High Contracting Powers, that whenever the King of Chosen shall have so far modified and reformed the statutes and judicial procedures of his Kingdom that, in the judgment of the United States, they conform to the laws and course of justice in the United States, the right of exterritorial jurisdiction over United States citizens in Chosen shall be abandoned, and thereafter united States citizens, when within the limits of the Kingdom of Chosen, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the native authorities.

Article V.

Merchants and merchant-vessels of Chosen visiting the United States for purposes of traffic, shall pay duties and tonnage-dues and all fees according to the Customs-Regulations of the united States, but no higher or other rates of duties and tonnage-dues shall be exacted of them, than are levied upon citizens of the United States or upon citizens or subjects of the most favored nation.

Merchants and merchant-vessels of the United States visiting Chosen for purposes of traffic, shall pay duties upon all merchandise imported and exported.  The authority to levy duties is of right vested in the Government of Chosen.  The tariff of duties upon exports and imports, together with the Customs-Regulations for the prevention of smuggling and other irregularities, will be fixed by the authorities of Chosen and communicated to the proper officials of the United States, to be by the latter notified to their citizens and duly observed.

It is however agreed in the first instance as a general measure, that the tariff upon such imports as are articles of daily use shall not exceed an ad valorem duty of ten per centum; that the tariff upon such imports as are luxuries, as for instance foreign wines, foreign tobacco, clocks and watches, shall not exceed an ad valorem-duty of thirty per centum, and that native produce exported shall pay a duty not to exceed five percentum ad valorem.  And it is further agreed that the duty upon foreign imports shall be paid once for all at the port of entry, and that no other dues, duties, fees, taxes or charges of any sort shall be levied upon such imports either in the interior of Chosen or at the ports.

United States merchant-vessels entering the ports of Chosen shall pay tonnage-dues at the rate of five mace per ton, payable once in three months on each vessel, according to the Chinese calendar.

Article VI.

Subjects of Chosen who may visit the United States shall be permitted to reside and to rent premises, purchase land, or to construct residences or warehouses in all parts of the country.  They shall be freely permitted to pursue their various callings and avocations, and to traffic in all merchandise, raw and manufactured, that is not declared contraband by law.  Citizens of the United States who may resort to the ports of Chosen which are open to foreign commerce, shall be permitted to reside at such open ports within the limits of the concessions and to lease buildings or land, or to construct residences or warehouses therein.  They shall be freely permitted to pursue their various callings and avocations within the limits of the port, and to traffic in all merchandise, raw and manufactured, that is not declared contraband by law.

No coercion or intimidation in the acquisition of land or buildings shall be permitted, and the land-rent as fixed by the authorities of Chosen shall be paid.  And it is expressly agreed that land so acquired in the open ports of Chosen still remains an integral part of the Kingdom, and that all rights of jurisdiction over persons and property within such areas remain vested in the authorities of Chosen, except in so far as such rights have been expressly relinquished by this Treaty.

American citizens are not permitted either to transport foreign imports to the interior for sale, or to proceed thither to purchase native produce.  Nor are they permitted to transport native produce from one open port to another open port.

Violations of this rule will subject such merchandise to confiscation, and the merchant offending will be handed over to the Consular Authorities to be dealt with.

Article VII.

The Governments of the united States and of Chosen mutually agree and undertake that subjects of Chosen shall not be permitted to import opium into any of the ports of the United States, and citizens of the united States shall not be permitted to import opium into any of the open ports of Chosen, to transport it from one open port to another open port, or to traffic in it in Chosen.  This absolute prohibition which extends to vessels owned by the citizens or subjects of either Power, to foreign vessels employed by them, and to vessels owned by the citizens or subjects of either Power and employed by other persons for the transportation of opium, shall be enforced by appropriate legislation on the part of the United States and of Chosen, and offenders against it shall be severely punished.

Article VIII.

Whenever the Government of Chosen shall have reason to apprehend a scarcity of food within the limits of the Kingdom, His Majesty may by Decree temporarily prohibit the export of all breadstuffs, and such Decree shall be binding on all citizens of the United States in Chosen upon due notice having been given them by the Authorities of Chosen through the proper officers of the united States; but it is to be understood that the exportation of rice and breadstuffs of every description is prohibited from the open port of Yin-Chuen.

Chosen having of old prohibited the exportation of red gingseng, if citizens of the United States clandestinely purchase it for export, it shall be confiscated and the offenders punished.

Article IX.

The purchase of cannon, small arms, swords, gunpowder, shot and all munitions of war is permitted only to officials of the Government of Chosen, and they may be imported by citizens of the United States only under a written permit from the authorities of Chosen.  If these articles are clandestinely imported, they shall be confiscated and the offending party shall be punished.

Article X.

The officers and people of either nation residing in the other, shall have the right to employ natives for all kinds of lawful work.

Should, however, subjects of Chosen, guilty of violation of the laws of the Kingdom, or against whom any action has been brought, conceal themselves in the residences or warehouses of United States citizens, or on board United States merchant-vessels, the Consular Authorities of the United States, on being notified of the fact by the local authorities, will either permit the latter to dispatch constables to make the arrests, or the persons will be arrested by the Consular Authorities and handed over to the local constables.

Officials or citizens of the United States shall not harbor such persons.

Article XI.

Students of either nationality, who may proceed to the country of the other, in order to study the language, literature, laws or arts shall be given all possible protection and assistance in evidence of cordial good will.

Article XII.

This being the First treaty negotiated by Chosen, and hence being general and and incomplete in its provisions, shall in the first instance be put into operation in all things stipulated herein.  As to stipulations not contained herein, after an interval of five years, when the officers and the people of the two Powers shall have become more familiar with each others language, a further negotiation of commercial provisions and regulations in detail, in conformity with international law and without unequal discriminations on either part shall be had.

Article XIII.

This Treaty, and future official correspondence between the two contracting Governments shall be made, on the part of Chosen, in the Chinese language.

The United States shall either use the Chinese language, or, if English is to be used, it shall be accompanied with a Chinese version, in order to avoid misunderstanding.

Article XIV.

The High Contracting Powers hereby agree that, should at any time the King of Chosen grant to any nation or to the merchants or citizens of any nation, any right, privilege or favor, connected either with navigation, commerce, political or other intercourse, which is not conferred by this Treaty, such right, privilege and favor shall freely inure to the benefit of the United States, its public officers, merchants and citizens, providing always, that whenever such right, privilege or favor is accompanied by any condition, or equivalent concession granted by the other nation interested, the United States, its officers and people shall only be entitled to the benefit of such right, privilege or favor upon complying with the conditions or concessions connected therewith.

In faith whereof the respective Commissioners Plenipotentiary have signed and sealed the foregoing at Yin-Chuen in English and Chinese, being three originals of each text of enen tenor and date, the ramifications of which shall be exchanged at Yin-Chuen within one year from the date of its execution, and immediately thereafter this Treaty shall be in all its provisions publicly proclaimed and made known by both Governments in their respective countries, in order that it may be obeyed by their citizens and subjects respectively.

Chosen, May the 22nd, A. D. 1882.

[seal.]  R. W. Shufeldt,  Commodore, U.S.N., Envoy of the U.S. to Chosen

[seal.]  Shin Chen, Chin Hong Chi } [In Chinese.]

Senate resolution advising ratification.

Resolved, (two thirds of the Senators present concurring,) That the Senate advise and consent to the ratification of the treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States and the kingdom of Corea or Chosen, concluded on the 22nd of May 1882.

Resolved, That it is the understanding of the Senate in agreeing to the foregoing resolution, that the clause, “nor are they permitted to transport native produce from one open port to another open port,” in Article VI of said treaty, it is not intended to prohibit and does not prohibit American ships from going from one open port to another open port in Corea or Chosen to receive Corean cargo for exportation, or to discharge foreign cargo, and

Resolved, That the President be request to communicate the foregoing interpretation of said clause to the Corean or Chosen government on the exchange of ratifications of said treaty, as the sense in which the United States understand the same.

Resolved further, That the Senate in advising and consenting to the treaty mentioned in the foregoing resolutions does not admit or acquiesce in any right or constitutional power in the President to authorize or empower any person to negotiate treaties or carry on diplomatic negotiations with any foreign power, unless such person shall have been appointed for such purpose or clothed with such power by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, except in the case of a Secretary of State or diplomatic officer appointed by the President to fill a vacancy occurring during the recess of the Senate, and it makes the declaration in order that the means employed in the negotiation of said treaty not drawn into precedent.

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate all the foregoing resolutions to the President.

Attest:  F.E. Shober,  Acting Secretary. 

If the Korean farmers think they got it bad; they need to talk to Chinese farmers. However, I hope the Korean farmers don’t pick up on this tactic:

A farmer angry over a court ruling set off a bomb in a Chinese courthouse, killing himself and four other people, a news report said Saturday.

The explosion Friday in Minle County in the northwestern province of Gansu killed the president of the county court and a local Communist Party official, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Congressman Jack Murtha as many of you know has been a vocal anti-war critic of the Bush Administration. I didn’t mind Murtha speaking his mind which he has a right to do about the war, but now he has gone the way of Cindy Sheehan and lost any legitimacy he had with me by attacking the military itself. For those who haven’t already heard about Congressman Murtha’s comments against army recruiting here they are via Greyhawk:

“Would you join (the military) today?,” he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.

“No,” replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party’s leading spokesmen on military issues.

“And I think you’re saying the average guy out there who’s considering recruitment is justified in saying ‘I don’t want to serve’,” the interviewer continued.

“Exactly right,” said Murtha.

Maybe Congressman Murtha is discouraged by the fact that the military has made all it’s recruiting goals for the last 6 months and needs to speak out against military recruiting. This however has drawn the ire of Marine and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace:

A large segment of the clip had to do with opinion about the war, and that’s not my lane. This country’s strength is based on the ability of its citizens and its leadership to have divergent views.

There were two parts in what I saw that went directly to my lane in the road, which is the health of the U.S. military. One was a statement that the U.S. Army is not well trained. The United States Army is well-trained. It is the best trained army in the world. It has never been better-trained, and we will continue to make sure that it stays well- trained.

The second was a quote that you just mentioned. That’s damaging to recruiting, it’s damaging to morale of the troops who are deployed, and it’s damaging to the morale of their families who believe in what they’re doing to serve this country. We have almost 300 million Americans who are being protected by 2.4 (million) volunteer active, Guard and Reserve members. We must recruit to that force. When a respected leader like Mr. Murtha, who has spent 37 extremely honorable years as a Marine, fought in two wars, has served the country extremely well in the Congress of the United States, when a respected individual like that says what he said, and 18- and 19-year-olds look to their leadership to determine how they are expected to act, they can get the wrong message.

I could care less when Congressman Murtha criticizes President Bush or the reasons for going to war. That is in his lane to do so as a Congressman. However, I do get offended when he attacks the US military itself. Trying to discourage people from enlisting in the military only makes things more difficult for the soldiers who are already in. Less recruits does not effect operations in Iraq. It effects other parts of the world where the US military has obligations. The Army will always fully man units in Iraq which means they will take soldiers from lets say Korea to do this, leaving the soldiers who are in Korea to do more with less.

Plus Murtha’s attacks on the military about poor training, lack of armor, Abu Graib, etc. is old news. His complaints are no longer relevant today. General Tommy Franks always liked to say that the enemy has a vote in war and the insurgents and terrorists got their vote in Iraq and the US Army reacted and now troops are armored and better trained in guerrilla warfare to deal with the threat.

Murtha’s comments drew the ire of one Army sergeant that confronted him and fellow war critic Congressman Moran at a recent town hall meeting in Washington broadcasted on this CSPAN video:

“Yes sir my name is Mark Seavey and I just want to thank you for coming up here. Until about a month ago I was Sgt Mark Seavey infantry squad leader, I returned from Afghanistan. My question to you, (applause) “Like yourself I dropped out of college two years ago to volunteer to go to Afghanistan, and I went and I came back. If I didn’t have a herniated disk now I would volunteer to go to Iraq in a second with my troops, three of which have already volunteered to go to Iraq. I keep hearing you say how you talk to the troops and the troops are demoralized, and I really resent that characterization. (applause) The morale of the troops that I talk to is phenomenal, which is why my troops are volunteering to go back, despite the hardships they had to endure in Afghanistan.

“And Congressman Moran, 200 of your constituents just returned from Afghanistan. We never got a letter from you; we never got a visit from you. You didn’t come to our homecoming. The only thing we got from any of our elected officials was one letter from the governor of this state thanking us for our service in Iraq, when we were in Afghanistan. That’s reprehensible. I don’t know who you two are talking to but the morale of the troops is very high.”

Moran – who is one of the few congressmen supporting Charlie Rangel’s call to restore the draft – responded quickly: “That wasn’t in the form of a question, it was in the form of a statement. But, uhh… let’s go over here.” And he took the next question.

These congressmen completely avoided this war veteran’s claims which even further destroys any legitimacy these critics have.

When is the anti-war left going to learn that attacking the military will not get you anywhere. The vast majority of the American public respects the military. The far left kooks thought they had the spokesman to push their agendas with due to Murtha’s former Marine Corps background. If he would have stuck to strategy and policy in Iraq I think people including myself would take his views more seriously. However, when he attacks the military it shows that his strategy is driven more by his hatred of President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld than any concern for the soldiers.

Mudville has got more on this, Skippy-san shares his viewpoints, along with Commander Salamander.