TRAINING TALK - U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, speaks to U.S. and NATO forces at the Counterinsurgency Training Center Afghanistan, July 13, 2010. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley LailObama's One-Man Bands Threaten Afghanistan Prospects -- Michael Gerson, Washington Post
If Michael Steele's latest gaffe -- criticizing the conflict in Afghanistan as "a war of Obama's choosing" -- was a test, Republicans generally passed it.
It must have been tempting for GOP leaders to join Steele in piling on an increasingly unpopular president, conducting an unpopular war, in the midst of a controversial troop escalation. But Steele was joined in his criticism only by professional provocateur Ann Coulter, locating both on a tiny island of anti-Obama wackiness.
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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
Operation Sabotage: Our secret war against Iran. -- Eli Lake, The New Republic
Iranian unrest grows over economic woes -- Barbara Slavin, Asia Times
Hezbollah finds new anti-Israeli cause -- Gal Luft, Washington Times
U.S. bidding Iraq goodbye and good luck -- Gwynne Dyer, Japan Times
Russia in NATO: fantasy or feasible? -- Amanda Paul, Today's Zaman
Imagine a nuclear arms race between China and India. -- Christian Caryl, Foreign Policy
Ugandan bombs are reason for global alarm -- The National editorial
Rules of engagement in Afghanistan bear fruit -- Philip Smucker, Asia Times
Drastic U.S. defense cuts outlined in think-tank report -- Dan Lamonthe, Marine Times
Politics and the Military -- Tim Hsia, New York Times
McChrystal: What would Eisenhower have done? -- John Dillin, Christian Science Monitor