Dan Froomkin at HuffPo—apparently there’s already a plan B in the works (and a plan B that doesn’t require COIN to fail before it can be put into effect)

check it out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/18/a-plan-b-for-afghanistan_n_686292.html

I had never seen David Gregory in his MTP anchorchair—I was taken aback by the very obvious and obviously bias perspective evident in his questions and in how he listened to the responses. Very disappointing lack of critical engagement. Even more suprising to me was the uniformity of reaction—left and right—the single minded obsession with “will he/won’t he meet the deadline?” rather than what the emphasis will be over the next 6 months, the goal posts, etc. Everyone apparently was too busy reading tea leaves to actually listen.

Read Froomkin.

I listened to the show on Sunday and came away with the impression that, Petraeus is prepared for failure of the mission as planned. Irrc, he endorsed openly the “big table” negotiations necessary to achieve a ceasefire.

I did not feel he was willing to get caught “waist deep in big muddy” but intended to give best effort between now and his report to congress in December.

I do not expect much (if any) success but I also am not hoping for failure or ISAF casualties. 

Civilian casualties continue (see Common Dreams) and civilian demonstrations against the (now) occupation are picking up in frequency and attendance.

This is an excellent time to pay attention and encourage same—keeping the pressure on—so that the outcome, even before Petraeus’ testimony—is widely known and unassailable.

David Gregory, that is an embarrassment of “journalism”/propaganda.  Did your exclusive interview come with preconditions or are you just a military whore?

Cheer up, folks!  “One initiative reinforces another—BOOM!—and the oil spot is expanding!”