Secretary of State Rice told Congress yesterday that the President authorized our troops to arrest the Iranians who were recently detained in Iraq, which I believe is long overdue, and represents a much tougher line toward the Iranians who have been meddling in Iraq since the Hussein government fell. One of the big mistakes we have made in Iraq has been to try and deal with it as if it existed in a vacuum.

My earlier prediction that the Maliki government may just pay lip service to confrontation with the Shiite militias may be coming to fruition with the appointment of a top Iraqi general over the objections of our military.

The Democrats are starting an effort to close the prisons at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. They don't say what we should do with the dangerous terrorists who we have locked up in those places.

George Will says the President and his critics are all hoping for a miracle in Iraq.

Bill Kristol says the President's Congressional critics are "boneless wonders".

Fred Barnes says Bush stands alone, without the the support of Democrats, many Republicans, and the American people.

David Gelernter wishes the President would make this speech during his State of the Union address.

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, NATO troops are not winning the hearts and minds of the locals.

And in Somalia, the Islamists have lost their last stronghold, courtesy of the Ethiopian military and pro-government Somali forces. Of course, the place may descend right back into chaos as soon as the Ethiopians leave.