Pakistani government forces stormed that Islamist mosque yesterday. Clearly, they were left with few options in that situation, all of them bad.

Ralph Peters talked to General Petraeus recently, and recounts the conversation in this piece in the New York Post.

According to the U.S. ambassador and the Iraqi Foreign Minister, if we pull our troops out of Iraq before the Iraqi government can maintain control, civil war will ensue. I think a majority of Americans would say, "So what?". That sounds pretty cold, but I think it is the truth.

Bill Kristol is urging the President not to listen to those advisers who are counseling some form of withdrawal from Iraq. Kristol has been very consistent on this issue, and is to be commended for his instinct to stay and fight (although is not doing any of the fighting, of course). But this country should be governed most of the time by the will of the majority, and that will is clearly being directed toward a withdrawal. Our members of Congress are responding to that will. If I can applaud them for responding to the popular will regarding immigration, as Phyllis Schlafly does, then shouldn't I also commend them for responding to the public will about Iraq?

The Army missed its June goal for new recruits. As the war becomes even more unpopular, and as the economy continues to hum along, this should be no surprise. What is truly remarkable is how long they have been able to meet their goals.

As the father of two daughters myself, this story certainly backs up my contention that we should use all our power to destroy the Islamists. As Richard Cohen writes, sometimes it is an honor to be hated by certain people.