Don't Confuse the "Surge" with the Strategy

[goesh]

What is really blowing in the wind? We see a proven General, Pretereus taking control in Iraq with 20K extra men coming in. The USS Stennis battle group is moving into the gulf area and over in Israel, Gady Ashkenazy is taking control. Gadi the grunt worked his way up in the Golani Brigade, commanded an armor unit, attended the SCC at Quantico and is an old Lebanon/hizbullah hand with a solid record. I wonder who the Admiral of the Stennis battle group is and what his history is.

[carl]

Stan:

one thing i learned over here is that the local people are way way smart. my time here and the things i've read convince me that brains are distributed pretty evenly though the mass of humanity despite the appearance of the city and the country.

every house and compound has a guard, just like when you were here. i try to stick to a routine so all those guys know me at least by sight and because i wave at them when i go by. the routine is of course a disadvantage because movements are predictable; but in our environment, i think the disadvantage is outweighed by the likelyhood of those guys coming to the assistance of somebody they know if a problem ever developed. that and the natural willingness of the Congolese to spring instantly to your assistance as soon as you shout "Moyibi!"

hopefully all this will remain academic. street crime is beginning to get bad in the east but so far isn't bad here.