MotherJones.com | MoJoBlog - Social Issues and Political Commentary: September 2, 2007

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September 8, 2007

Dispatch from the Society of Environmental Journalists Conference

At this weekend's conference of environmental journalists in Palo Alto, the AP's science writer, Seth Borenstein, moderated a plenary session called "Covering Climate Change." A day before the event, he received an email from Marc Morano, a senior aid to Senator James Inhofe (R-Ok.)—the former head of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and an adamant climate change denier—urging him to question the panel's seeming assumption that scientists had concluded that climate change was a reality. Borenstein promptly forwarded the email to several other journalists.

Contrary to popular opinion (and Mother Jones' careful reporting), Morano wrote, scientists who challenge the climate change hypothesis are not a well-funded minority, but individuals whose research has held its own scientifically despite the PR victory of well-funded liberal fear-mongers.

You've gotta give it to Inhofe, whose major funders list reads like a who's who of energy and forest products corporations—he's really stuck to his guns.

But, back in reality, the experts at the conference indicated time and again that global warming was already hard upon us and that we need to act now to cap carbon emissions unless we want things to get really ugly. We also need to start planning for the consequences of climate change (the buzzword is "adaptation.") Phillip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust, said "there has been no thought given to this issue" in the United States, despite the fact that by 2050, 100 million people a year could be displaced by weather disasters—and research suggests that among the hardest-hit countries will be Mexico, making our current immigration problems look like child's play.

Goodbye Chuck Hagel. You'll be Missed

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is retiring at the end of his term, and it's a loss for both Democrats and Republicans.

The Democrats lose one of Congress's most passionate and articulate critics of the Iraq War. The Republicans lose an incumbent in an election cycle in which their ranks are already vulnerable.

Former Nebraska senator and governor Bob Kerrey, a Democrat, is considering emerging from retirement to run for Hagel's seat, and the odds he would get it are high. Add in the fact that John Warner, a Republican, is vacating a Virginia senate seat that will likely be won by Mark Warner, a Democrat, and you've got what looks like a much small minority for the GOP.

By the way, there was once tons and tons of buzz around a Hagel candidacy for president. I was a somewhat-tongue-in-cheek proponent. I never really wanted the man to be president, but he was principled, reasoned, rational, and sincere. He'll be missed.

Update: Ed.-in-Chief Clara Jeffery writes in and speculates that Hagel's retirement clears the way for him to be Hillary's Secretary of Defense.

September 7, 2007

Washington Times Editor Gets Desperate, Compares the Surge to the Battle of Midway

Rambling screeds on right-leaning editorial pages are often stuffed with unintentional humor and unintended self-parody, but the op-ed by Editor in Chief Wesley Pruden in today's Washington Times really takes the cake. In between busily accusing Democrats of hoping for bad news on Iraq ("only bad news makes their hearts sing") and pretending some "Let's not pay taxes or follow laws" crazy on the internet is representative of the Democratic party, Pruden came out with this gem:

Some of these doom-criers would have swooned in the miserable spring of 1942, when Rommel's unstoppable march across North Africa was finally stopped by the British at el-Alamein. Halfway around the world, the U.S. Navy turned back the Japanese tide at Midway.

So if you're keeping track, Iraq is Vietnam, General Petraeus is Bernard Montgomery, the surge is the First Battle of el-Alamein, the insurgents are Nazis (or Japanese), and Democrats are (again!) a fifth column that only wants to see America lose, the terrorists win, and babies cry. Bravo, Mr. Pruden. Your achievements in convoluted overstatement are truly impressive. Bravo.

— Nick Baumann

We're Making Progress in Iraq! Heard That One Before?

In advance of next week's big pro-surge push from the White House and Gen. Petraeus, MoveOn.org points out how many times we've heard that we're making progress in Iraq.

Bush on APEC...OPEC? Tomato, Tomahto

Bush is tired, this is all hard, hard work, plus he's jetlagged. Which all spells trouble for the man who has a hard time speaking, let alone spelling.

Today at the APEC business summit in Sydney, Australia, the prez served up a couple of major gaffes, astonishing even for him.

First, he addressed the crowd at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, not as the key regional inter-governmental working group, but as the similarly-acronymed, but oh-so-different, oil cartel, thanking Prime Minister John Howard thusly:

"Mr prime minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit."

He caught himself on this one and amended his mention. But then, as he was wrapping up, Bush commended "Austrian troops" in Iraq. There are, in fact, no Austrian troops in Iraq, but there are 1,500 Australian ones.

He failed to correct this mistake, though you'd never know it from the transcript. You see, the White House offers transcripts of all of the president's speeches, but they are consistently edited and cleaned up to weed out the big and small flubs. No mention of Austrian troops therein, meaning Bush will come off as much smoother in the historical record.

Dep't of Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: Iraqi Casualties Edition

Josh Marshall and the crew at Talking Points Memo are looking into this issue of casualties in Iraq — the right and the left are both throwing around statistics on civilian deaths that support their respective positions on the surge, and Marshall wants to figure out what's really going on. But until he does, you should take a look at this very good Washington Post story on why the government's and military's numbers, which they say prove deaths are down by half, are bogus.

September 6, 2007

Breaking: Osama bin Laden to Make 9/11 Video Address to U.S.

As being reported now by CNN, Osama bin Laden plans to make a video address to the United States on September 11th. This is according to information picked up by the SITE Institute, which tracks jihadist Internet chatter. The Al Qaeda leader is expected to warn of new terrorist attacks. If true, this will be Bin Laden's first video appearance since shortly before the 2004 presidential election. Looks like Petraeus might have some competition in next week's news cycle...

Major Report on Status of Iraqi Security Forces Presented in Congress Today

Here are the findings of the Independent Commission on the Security Forces in Iraq, a group of military and law enforcement men sent out by Congress to examine the status of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF):

"The Commission finds that in general, the Iraqi Security Forces, military and police, have made uneven progress, but that there should be increasing improvement in both their readiness and their capability to provide for the internal security of Iraq. With regard to external dangers, the evidence indicates that the Iraqi Security Forces will not be able to secure Iraqi borders against conventional military threats in the near term.

"While severely deficient in combat support and combat service support capabilities, the new Iraqi armed forces, especially the Army, show clear evidence of developing the baseline infrastructures that lead to the successful formation of a national defense capability…. In any event, the ISF will be unable to fulfill their essential security responsibilities independently over the next 12-18 months…

"In some areas, they have been vulnerable to infiltration, and they are often outmatched in leadership, training, tactics, equipment, and weapons by the terrorists, criminals, and the militias they must combat."

The Commission presented these findings at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier today. They are the kind of lukewarm results that either party can use to their advantage. And that they did.

In questioning, Ranking Minority Member John McCain focused on the good. According to the Commission's report, the Iraqi Army's efforts to weed militias out of its ranks is "achieving some progress." It's "operational effectiveness is increasing." The Air Force is "progressing at a promising rate." The Navy is "making substantive progress." (The Ministry of Interior, the National Police, and the border security forces are subject to strong criticism in the report.)

McCain repeatedly asked if these achievements are due to the surge. The military men seated at the witness table, who agreed with McCain that the surge is producing military results, conceded that this was true only "in part."

Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and other Democrats highlighted the language within the report that appears to support a withdrawal. According to the report, recent success with the ISF presents

"the opportunity for considering a shift in the disposition and employment of our forces. This could be characterized as a transition to a "strategic overwatch" posture. Such a strategy would include placing increasing responsibility for the internal security of the nation on the ISF, especially in the urban areas. Coalition forces could be re-tasked to… the eastern and western borders and the active defense of the critical infrastructures essential to Iraq."

Levin's main thrust was this: What reductions in American troops can result from the realignments and retaskings of the Iraqi security forces and the coalition forces that the Commission recommends?

The generals ducked the question, and none of the Democrats pushed. There was a universal acknowledgement in the room that the Iraqi security forces would be better off with some political clarity at the top of the Iraqi government, and that without it the ceiling for progress would be kept low. Political reconciliation would be "the most positive event that can occur in the near term" said the lead general at the witness table, James Jones. "Everything seems to flow from this event."

Until then, the Iraqi Security Forces won't be able to act independently, and the Americans will be stuck doing their work.

Looking Past Petraeus

This morning, in the ornate (and over air-conditioned) Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building, members of the combined House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees convened a hearing called, "Beyond the September Report: What's Next for Iraq?" Testifying was former Clinton Defense Secretary William Perry, retired Army Major General John Batiste, and retired Army Chief of Staff Jack Keane.

General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are scheduled to appear before both committees early next week, but today's event was apparently meant as a preemptive strike against any good news they might deliver. As House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos said in his opening statement:

It would be refreshing if these two capable and dedicated men would outline a new plan that would redeploy our troops and bring them home from Iraq. But I expect instead that the September report—written not by one of our great military leaders and one of our most capable diplomats, but by Administration political operatives—will be a regurgitation of the same failed Iraq strategy. I expect this report will be replete with the same litany of requests—more troops, more money, more patience—and all in the unlikely belief that our intervention in a bloody, religiously-based civil war will bear fruit.

Lantos' statement was challenged by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who objected to the very premise of the hearing. "We should consider next steps only after we have reviewed all reports and presentations," she argued, in reference to the forthcoming Petraeus/Crocker report. Duncan Hunter, her Republican counterpart on the Armed Services Committee, agreed. "I hope the purpose of this hearing is not to discredit General Petraeus before he takes the stand," he said.

Such disagreement was no less apparent among the committees' three witnesses. Perry and Batiste, the first to testify, delivered warnings that the U.S. military is stretched beyond the breaking point and must withdraw from Iraq to save itself from catastrophic damage. Perry cautioned that it took years to rebuild the U.S. Army after Vietnam and said that, without a change in course, it might well collapse again. Batiste said the Bush Administration "has ignored the lessons of history" and suggested that the 'surge' in Baghdad "has had little effect on country-wide violence." "This is a no-win situation," he continued. "When the surge culminates, and culminate it will, the civil war will intensify."

Keane, just back from two weeks in Baghdad (seriously, who isn't these days?), took exception to these grim accountings. As one of the architects of the 'surge' strategy (see this January 2007 report he wrote with AEI's Fred Kagan), he defended the "remarkable progress" being made in Anbar province and in Baghdad. "We're on the offensive, and we have momentum," he said. "I don't know how throwing in the towel and losing the war would help us strategically in the world." He worked his way through a checklist of successes he claimed to have seen in Baghdad: schools, hospitals, markets, and cafes are open; Al Qaeda is "on the run;" and the Sunni insurgency "is rapidly fading away." Sounds familiar, right? Some of this success he attributed to the cumulative effect of Iraq's intense violence. "One of the ways you defeat an insurgency is people get exhausted," he said. "They get exhausted from the violence. This is what is happening in Iraq."

Click here and here to read my earlier posts about this week's Iraq debate in Congress.

Huckabee vs. Paul: Video from Yesterday's Republican Debate

This is my favorite video clip from yesterday's debate.

With World Not Tense Enough, Israel and Russia Decide to Provoke Their Neighbors

The Israeli and Russian air forces, apparently bored with the amount of violence in the world, picked today to provoke their neighbors. Eight Russian planes were "warned off" from the NATO air defense zone by British fighter jets, the BBC reported, while the New York Times reported a Syrian claim that Israeli jets had violated Syrian airspace.

Some important differences between the two incidents should be noted. The Russians never violated British airspace, and the British defense ministry said that "the re-emergence of long-range flights from Russia is something the Russians are entitled to do." The Israelis, for their part, would not comment on the Syrian allegations.

If true, however, both of these events represent unnecessary provocations in already-tense situations. Israel and Syria have been trying for months to convince each other that neither wants war, and this incident will strain already frayed nerves. And while Russia certainly has the right to fly its planes in international airspace as much as it wants, its much-hyped resumption of long-range bomber patrols should be recognized for what it is: a demonstration that, as the Economist wrote recently, "the Russian bear is back—wearing a snarl with its designer sunglasses." The world is dangerous enough. Russia and Israel should be careful to avoid making it more so.

—Nick Baumann

September 5, 2007

Fred Thompson Flubs the Facts on Tonight Show

In response to a question from Jay Leno about why America is so disliked worldwide, new presidential candidate Fred Thompson had this to say (transcript here):

Well, part of that comes with being the strongest, most powerful, most prosperous country in the history of the world. I think that goes with the territory. We're more unpopular than we need to be. That's for sure, but our people have shed more blood for the liberty and freedom of other peoples in this country than all the other countries put together. (Applause.) And I don't feel any need to apologize for the United States of America.

First, this is silly. As the "strongest, most powerful, most prosperous country in the history of the world," we can be the most popular or least popular country around, depending on our actions. There's nothing inherent about being on top that makes people hate you.

Second, this is false. The Soviet Union lost over 20 million people in World War II, an astonishing 10-13 percent of the country's total population. The U.S. lost 418,500 in WWII, 117,465 in WWI, and roughly 60,000 in Vietnam. More on those numbers here; point is, it's not even close.

Look, I don't mean to denigrate the sacrifice of American servicemen and women through the ages. But let's not be badly, badly factually incorrect in the name of national pride.

Update: See my thoughts on why Thompson would be the GOP's worst nominee.

African Pentecostal Christians Destroying Ancient African Culture In Nigeria

Most of us have read or heard about European colonists and Christian missionaries looting the treasures of Africa. That destruction and theft occurred a long time ago, but now, a new version of it is taking place. Pentecostal Christian Nigerians are destroying ancient artifacts in order to "break the covenant" with what they call "ancestral idols." Costumes, bronzes and carvings have all been targeted.

Pentecostal Christianity has increased along with poverty in Nigeria during the last couple of decades. "Redemption camps" have sprung up in the country, attracting such famous pastors as Benny Hinn. The Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, a leader of the Pentecostal Church in Nigeria, is said to have told his followers that the ancient African religious artifacts represent "curses and covenants" linked to various gods.

Of course, there are forces in Nigeria that are fighting this trend. Some pieces have been sold to museums, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments is conducting a campaign to explain to Christians that "they can't detach themselves from their past, that there is a beginning to their history." The commission is also asking for stricter enforcement of a law that prohibits the export of artifacts.

Congressional Battle Over GAO's Iraq Report Continues

Building on yesterday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, today the House of Representatives grilled U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker about the contents of a new GAO report, which concludes that the Iraqi government has achieved only 3 of 18 political, economic, and security benchmarks. Walker fought off attacks from Congressional Republicans in a morning hearing with the House Armed Services Committee and again in an afternoon appearance before the House Foreign Relations Committee.

At yesterday's event, senators from both parties grimly accepted Walker's determination that the Iraqi government is "dysfunctional." But today, Republicans seem to have gotten their talking points and came out swinging. Numerous GOP congressmen assailed the GAO's methodology, accusing Walker of downplaying recent "progress" in Iraq and complaining that his metrics for assessing the benchmarks (met, partially met, and did not meet) were insufficiently flexible to reflect accurately the difficult and fluid situation on the ground. Walker responded that his task, unlike that of similar Bush administration assessments, was to examine whether the benchmarks had been achieved, not whether progress had been made. He suggested that the Congress take both approaches into account, but warned that the forthcoming Petraeus/Crocker report would probably paint a rosier picture, as both men ultimately report to President Bush. "The GAO represents the only independent and professional assessment that the Congress will receive based on these 18 benchmarks," he said. This caused something of a stir until Walker acknowledged that both Petraeus and Crocker are "professionals." He stuck to his opinion, however, that their conclusions, whatever they may be, would not be completely independent.

The primary argument at both of today's hearings centered on Benchmark 13: "Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security." All parties are in agreement, Walker said, that militias remain the primary arbiters of local security. But, as reported in today's Washington Post, serious disagreement exists with regard to the number of recent sectarian attacks. The figures are classified, but the Pentagon insists sectarian attacks are down as a result of the 'surge,' and reportedly requested in advance of the GAO report's release that this be recognized. Walker, however, insisted that he was "not comfortable" with the military's methodology in differentiating between sectarian attacks and random violence. Jim Saxton, the ranking Republican in the House Armed Services Committee, referred to the Post article and suggested that the feeling of discomfort was mutual. Walker's response was blunt. "It's not uncommon for those being held accountable to be uncomfortable," he said, adding later, "There is still significant sectarian violence."

During the afternoon hearing, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tom Lantos, Democrat of California, encouraged Walker to discuss matters outside of the GAO's mandate, such as the unequal sacrifice for the Iraq War being asked of a small portion of the population and the war's effect on the U.S. military. Walker accused the Bush Administration of passing the buck. "We're not paying for this war; we're debt-financing this war," he said. "Our children will pay it off with compound interest." He went on to describe the U.S. Army as "stressed and strained," stating that the current approach is "unsustainable." This invited the ire of Republican ranking member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who asked, "What in the world qualifies you to say that?" She went on to thank Walker for his efforts, but expressed frustration with his conclusions. The GAO report "seems to be having a lot of credibility with the American people that I think is unwarranted," she said.

The battle will continue tomorrow with the delivery of Marine General James Jones' report on the training and capabilities of Iraq's security forces. Click here for a complete schedule of upcoming events.

Saddest Picture of the Day Alert

It takes a special kind of person to get this kind of reception at a campaign event and keep on plugging. It's hard out there for a ~~pimp~~ crazed right-winger who refers to stem-cell research as "research on the youngest of humans."

Since Nothing Else Important Going on in World, Congress Takes on Hip-Hop

We've covered Al Sharpton's protests against sexism and violence in hip-hop, as well as the movement against homophobia and violence in reggae lyrics. Some of us may have also posted a hip-hop video here whose cheeky references to pregnancy some found offensive.

Well, the government is here to straighten this mess out. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) announced today that Congress will hold a hearing later this month regarding media "stereotypes and degradation" of women, focusing on hip-hop lyrics and videos.

Continue reading on the Mother Jones arts/culture blog, The Riff.

Chevron Releases Video Game

Energyville is like Sim City where the laws are written by Chevron. You must power your city with a mix of energy sources, and, of course, you can't win without oil. The game is part of Chevron's "Will you join us?" campaign, a dubious effort to spark dialogue about energy and the environment. I can't imagine who Chevron sees as its target audience—kids will find the game all too 1997; any adult who buys the pitch might also be interested in a REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE from Nigeria. Still, the game is getting lots of press.

Driven by novelty and interactivity--never underestimate the interest of bored office workers--advergames are becoming hot marketing tools in the political realm. The outfit Persuasive Games will whip one up for $40,000, complete with Sim City street grids or flash-animated conveyor belts. My favorite is Airport Security, a game in which you're a TSA baggage screener. (Courtesy announcement: "Please be advised: Security personnel are authorized to use groping.") For other examples, see page 86 of the Sept/Oct issue of Mother Jones.

In Defense of Gumshoes

McClatchy reports that authorities stopped two major terror plots in Germany and Denmark. Turns out the governments didn't have to torture anyone to stop either of the bombings—it was just good old-fashioned police work. "Both groups had been under surveillance for months," according to the McClatchy story. But instead of immediately arresting suspects and bringing them in, authorities watched them, found out who they were connected to, and built a legal case against them. As Bruce Grady reminded John O'Hagen, "It's called routine police work." The Financial Times reported that police had been watching the German group since spotting one of its members spying on a U.S. military base in Hanau in December 2006. Would someone who was noticed spying on a military base in the U.S. be followed and watched for eight months instead of simply shipped off to Guantanamo and water-boarded?

— Nick Baumann

U.S. Nukes Accidentally Roaming the Country

How does this happen exactly?

A B-52 bomber mistakenly loaded with at least five nuclear warheads flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D, to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30, resulting in an Air Force-wide investigation...

Wonkette speculates that Cheney is trying to finish off New Orleans. I doubt it. I'm guessing John Travolta and Howie Long are somehow involved; only Christian Slater can save us now.

Breaking: Republican Congressman Dies

Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor was found dead in his apartment today. There's still no word on the cause of death.

Given the recent carnage--corruption scandals, a resignation, and now a death--you could almost say the Republicans are in solidarity with the harried legislators of Iraq.

CNN Allows Captain Obvious to Write Headlines

CNN headline for an AP story:

"Men want hot women, study confirms."

Note that other outlets found more informative ways to summarize the article. From ohio.com: "Women choosy, men competitive in picking mates." From the Tacoma News-Tribune: "Dating study finds superficial guys, choosy ladies."

Tomorrow on CNN: "Parents love children, study shows" and "Americans overweight, census data indicate."

Bill Clinton, Still the Charmer-in-Chief

Politico has a wonderful little article on Bill Clinton today. There's almost no analysis, just the sights and sounds of Bill Clinton wandering a state fair while ostensibly campaigning for his wife. Take a look if you'd like. Here's a neat moment.

At the state fair, Bill finally makes his way to where Hillary and her press corps are waiting, in a shed with enormous pumpkins the size of beanbag chairs. The blue-ribbon-winning pumpkin is an incredible 1,004 pounds.

I ask Bill Clinton if the famous watermelons in Hope, Ark., his hometown, ever get this big.

"Watermelons don’t get this big," he says. "Last one I saw was some 270 pounds. That’s a big watermelon."

He talks about pumpkins and watermelons — are you surprised that he knows about pumpkins and watermelons? — and how these competition fruits cannot have any holes or breaks in the skin.

"It's seeds plus soil plus care," he says. "Too much water and the skin breaks and you are eliminated. Use too little, and somebody beats you. It is about constant judgment. Like the presidency. Make it as big as you can without breaking the skin."

I don't know what that means exactly, but I'm pretty sure if I had been there and Bill Clinton had said it to me, I'd have immediately written it down like it was a brilliant Yoda-esque koan.

Larry Craig Badly Deluded About Future Prospects

Larry Craig sure isn't making this easy on the GOP. I'm sure Republican leadership in Congress wants ol' Wide Stance out of the public eye as quickly as possible, but with Craig fueling new rumors almost daily that he is reconsidering his resignation (is that allowed?), it looks like this sordid drama might be drawn out for a while.

From what can be deciphered from news reports, it appears Sen. Arlen Specter made a courtesy phone call to Craig after Craig announced his intention to resign, just to tell the disgraced Idaho senator to keep his chin up. Craig interpreted that as meaning he has the support of his colleagues (which he doesn't). He may hold off on giving up his seat while he seeks to have his conviction overturned.

Now, it's unclear why Larry Craig wants to undo his guilty plea so he can take this case to court, because a public hearing is only going to put the senator's conduct, which is already a joke, under harsher light. Everyone familiar with the details of cruising seems to say Craig followed the patterns of a man seeking anonymous gay sex perfectly.

Maybe that's why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had this to say about the will-resign-won't-resign rumors: "I think the episode is over. We'll have a new senator from Idaho at some point in the next month or so, and we're going to move on."

September 4, 2007

Afghan Women Lack Rights and Access to Courts

In a country where an estimated 60 to 80 percent of marriages are arranged—often to settle blood feuds and debts—and 57 percent of marriages are between a man and a young girl under the age of 16, there have been some half-hearted attempts over the past few years to introduce more just laws in order to give girls and women a stronger voice. These laws include raising the minimum age of a marrying girl and one that grants women the right to file for a divorce if her husband is absent for more than four years. Thousands of women have been abandoned by men who left them due to the economic insecurity, unemployment, and violence in their home towns.

But practices don't always mirror what's on paper: The Supreme Court has conservative ties that, in the past, have led them to uphold stringent measures. Recently, the Court upheld the marriage of a man and a nine-year-old girl. The justice system hasn't been kind to Afghan women either: A recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report found that there are currently around 300 female prisoners and that "many women who find themselves in the criminal justice system cannot be defined as criminals...most having been imprisoned for 'moral crimes.'"

And lack of access to courts creates a barrier to justice as well. Afghan courts are found in cities, but nearly 80 percent of Afghanistan's population lives in rural areas. Even for the few women who are able to turn to the courts, the outcome of their cases is often not desired. Afghan courts still favor men, especially in abuse and custody cases, whereby social and family connections are the deciding factor. Women are rarely granted divorce and many that want a divorce won't turn to the courts because of the social taboo associated with them.

Unbearable marriages, contentious relationships with in-laws, and feeling as though they have nowhere to go have led many Afghan women to turn to suicide. In the past six months, more than 250 have committed suicide, many using the painful method of self-immolation.

In the July/August issue of Mother Jones, photographer Lana Šlezić explores the issues facing Afghan women and the prevalence of suicide by self-immolation in her photo essay "The Hidden Half."

—Neha Inamdar

And They're Off!

Following on Jonathan's summary of the GAO report findings, I attended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting this afternoon in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Senator Kerry presided over the meeting, joined by colleagues Lugar, Feingold, and Hagel, among others. Testifying was U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker, who led GAO staff in preparing the report.

Microphones continually cut out as the senators expressed their frustration with how poorly things are going in Iraq. The question was put to Walker repeatedly of whether recent progress in Anbar province would be sustainable in the absence of U.S. troops. The general feeling appeared to be no. Walker did not argue the point.

It was striking how uniform the senators were in their pessimism. Only Norm Coleman, Republican of Minnesota, challenged Walker on his findings. Coleman, who had just returned from Baghdad after spending the weekend with General Petraeus, said that the general had shown him data suggesting the number of enemy attacks declined during the month of August. Kerry interrupted, pointing out that, historically, the month of August is usually quiet. Coleman responded that the numbers he had seen in Baghdad were undeniable and compensated for any seasonal fluctuation in insurgent activity. Walker admitted that he had not seen the numbers for August (despite requesting them), but that anecdotal information suggested that there was no discernible downturn in the overall number of attacks.

Aside from Coleman, however, the senators did not argue against GAO's findings. If anything, they pushed Walker further. Lugar said that, by all appearances, the Iraqis don't seem to want to be part of a unified Iraq. If true, he said, "then we have an awesome problem." Later, Hagel asked whether the Iraqi government could be described as functional, whether it could defend, support, and govern itself. Walker's response: "I think I would have to say it's dysfunctional. The government is dysfunctional."

It was then that I saw what appeared to be an Iraqi diplomat, who had been sitting quietly in the back of the room, get up and leave.

More hearings on the GAO report tomorrow...

GAO Report Now Available: Iraqi Gov't Meets 3 of 18 Benchmarks

The GAO report on the Iraqi government is out (background here). Key results: At the end of August, the Iraqi government had met three, had partially met four, and had not met 11 of 18 legislative, security, and economic benchmarks.

Benchmarks met:

Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad security plan.
Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.

Benchmarks partially met:

Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.
Ensuring that, according to President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki said ‘‘the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.’’
Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

Benchmarks not met:

Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.
Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Ba'athification.
Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.
Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the Constitution of Iraq.
Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions, in consultation with U.S. commanders, without political intervention, to include the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.
Ensuring that the Iraqi security forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.
Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.
Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces’ units capable of operating independently.
Ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi security forces.

Talking Surge (and Jogging) with General Petraeus

Spencer Ackerman got to join General David Petraeus on his morning exercise routine recently, and the results give us some clue as to what Petraeus will say before Congress next week.

"There are some encouraging signs," [Petraeus] said cautiously. "It's still pretty early, but sectarian violence and murders are down [in Baghdad], and that's hugely important. It's about [stopping] sectarian violence." He qualified his statement. "There are still, obviously, huge car bombs, since al-Qaeda is trying to reignite sectarian violence."

So the results of the surge are a decidedly mixed bag. The security is getting mildly better (very much in question) but the politics of Iraq have not improved. In fact, they're worse than they were a year ago. We may be winning on some of the details, but we're still losing on the big picture. Why continue the occupation?

Politics in the country was moving slowly, [Petraeus] conceded, but he was impressed with the performance of the Iraqi Army in Baghdad. I wasn't exactly sure what the connection was. Could a competent Army really convince Sunnis to accept minority status, or stop Shiites from hoarding power? But nothing is a non sequitur to Petraeus. Instead, the strategy he describes is one where each small contingency exerts an ephemeral but real influence on every seemingly unrelated aspect of the war.

It appears the surge meant something very different to General Petraeus than it did to the rest of America. To everyone here stateside, the surge in troops was a temporary effort to give Iraqi politicians the space and stability they needed to achieve some kind of reconciliation. To Petraeus, it was a chance to implement his strategy and re-fight the war.

And you know what's funny? Inklings of this were reported in February. I spotted a Newsweek story by Michael Hirsh and wrote a blog entitled "Petraeus is Engaged in a Giant 'Do-Over'" on 02/23/07. Maybe we should have all raised a bigger fuss.

Bush: "I Cry a Lot"

There's been a bunch of interesting stuff coming out of a new book on the Bush presidency by Robert Draper entitled "Dead Certain." But Draper, a former writer for Texas Monthly, scored nothing more interesting than Bush's claim that he cries a lot:

"I've got God’s shoulder to cry on, and I cry a lot. I’ll bet I’ve shed more tears than you can count as president."

Characteristically tortured grammar aside... what? I've always assumed that Bush's bumbling (in Iraq particularly, but elsewhere too) was borne out of an unthinking machismo that left no room for doubt or dissent. But if the president really is as reflective and contemplative as he claims (which I don't buy) how to explain his errors? Maybe instead of being arrogant and inhumane, Bush is just incompetent?

Who knows. I don't believe this crying claim any more than Karl Rove's claim that Bush read 94 books last year.

Iraq Debate Opens in Washington

The long-awaited Iraq debate has arrived. Prepare to be bombarded with official opinion on all sides. Over the next two weeks, there will be no fewer than 12 congressional hearings assessing the state of things in America's fifty-first state.

This week, Congress will review two new reports. The first, by the GAO, will look at Iraq's progress on political and security benchmarks; the second, by Marine General James Jones, will examine the training and capabilities of Iraqi security forces. The forecast is gloomy in each case. The reports will prepare the rhetorical battlefield for next week's main event: the testimony of Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus on the effects of the 'surge.'

As the political battle is joined in Washington, Mother Jones will be there. Check the MoJoBlog for our coverage. A list of events already on the schedule:

Tuesday, September 4, 2007, 2pm: Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds an open hearing on the GAO report assessing the political and military progress in Iraq.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007, 10am: House Armed Services Committee holds an open hearing on the GAO report.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007, 2pm: House Foreign Affairs Committee holds an open hearing on the GAO report.

Thursday, September 6, 2007, 9am: Joint House Armed Services/Foreign Affairs Committee holds an open hearing on “Beyond the September Reports: What’s Next for Iraq?”