Pat Buchanan is skeptical about our ability to win the ideological war against al Qaeda and their ilk. If Buchanan is correct, and the Islamists are able to tap into religious belief mixed with nationalism, then it is certainly possible that we could lose. If, however, the extreme form of Islam that is being offered by al Qaeda is found to be repellent to ordinary Muslims (as I think is the case in parts of Iraq), then we have a fair chance to defeat them, if not eliminate them entirely.

Jeff Jacoby says that good news out of Iraq is bad news for the Democrats. Politically, he is quite right. To appease their rabid, anti-war wing, mainstream Democrats must hew to the line that the Iraq War is a blunder and a failure and the only right move now is to get out as soon as possible.

A Marine Corporal and veteran of the Iraq War makes an argument for resumption of the military draft. It's a pretty good argument.

Harold Meyerson says that Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki is being unfairly criticized for failure to hold Iraq together, since Meyerson does not believe that is possible. He may be right.