NBC (and other news organizations) is now calling the war in Iraq a civil war. So what, you might say. Words matter. While the American people might support a war in which our troops are defending democracy and freedom from medieval barbarism (like Afghanistan), they will not support keeping our troops stuck in-between warring factions.

Britain makes plans to pull even more troops out of Iraq.

Iraqi President Talabani pays a visit to Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

Fred Gedrich says we should ask the Iraqis to hold a referendum on whether our troops should stay or go. Even if a majority of Iraqis voted to keep American troops in their country, I'm not sure that would change American public opinion which, as shown by the results of our recent election, is solidly opposed to our continued presence there.

Christopher Hitchens examines the nihilistic violence that is afflicting the Middle East from Beirut to Baghdad.

A classified report, previously leaked in general form to the Washington Post in August, has now been leaked in its entirety to the Post. The report says the situation in al-Anbar province in Iraq, a Sunni region, is getting worse, with al Qaeda in the ascendant.