September 1, 2006 [LINK / comment]

Crunch time in Iraq (again)

After a period of quiet reflection during his August vacation, President Bush came out swining in a speech in Salt Lake City today, warning that the fate of Western civilization hangs in the balance in Iraq right now.

It seems like every few months that passes in Iraq there comes another decisive moment, where the good guys either have to prevail or back out. This month has been one of a long series of "turning points," and it would be foolish to put much stock in any predictions -- either optimistic or pessimistic. The truth is, we simply can't tell how much moral and physical resources the terrorists have left.