Department of Offense

When a blind man bears the standard, pity those who follow
--French Proverb

President Bush "plans to convene a full meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday at his ranch in Crawford" to discuss the possibility of ramping up troop levels in Iraq, reports the International Herald Tribune. This indicates that the issue is so serious Bush will take a few hours out of his well-deserved holiday to amble over to the meeting to grapple with the issues. His dedication to the job is gratifying.

The article continues, "Mr. Gates, they said, asked General Casey to enter into final discussions with Iraqi officials on the specifics of their role."

This indicates an institutional paralysis of the U.S. government, and that the administration cannot conceptualize solutions beyond the military schema. The State Department should be the lead agency in dealing with Iraqi officials. Since when do Generals function as foreign service officers?

The hegemony of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the absence of Department of State(DoS) are prime factors in the endless nature of this conflict. DoD should not be the spokesman for the State Department.

GWB, Rice and Gates need to establish a "country team," with political DoS leadership directing the coordinated efforts in Iraq.

Since the DoS has taken its cues from DoD, there is nothing to indicate that a correct functioning of U.S. institutions will resume anytime soon.

The broken government is that of the U.S. The muddle that is Iraq is simply a reflection of this fact.