THE TRUTH LEAKS OUT

Only a week after Dubya said "no more leaking" (a story that was, in fact, leaked), a memo from Rummy to a handful of higher-ups in defense has leaked out, and we see that even they know that, despite all their outward optimism, Iraq and the war on terror are not going as well as they had hoped. From USA Today's summary:

The memo, which diverges sharply from Rumsfeld's mostly positive public comments, offers one of the most candid and sobering assessments to date of how top administration officials view the 2-year-old war on terrorism. It suggests that significant work remains and raises a number of probing questions but few detailed proposals.

"Are we winning or losing the Global War on Terror?" Rumsfeld asks in the Oct. 16 memo, which goes on to cite "mixed results" against al-Qaeda, "reasonable progress" tracking down top Iraqis and "somewhat slower progress" in apprehending Taliban leaders. "Is our current situation such that 'the harder we work, the behinder we get'? " he wrote.

(...)

Among Rumsfeld's observations in the two-page memo:

• The United States is "just getting started" in fighting the Iraq-based terror group Ansar Al-Islam.

• The war is hugely expensive. "The cost-benefit ratio is against us! Our cost is billions against the terrorists' cost of millions."

• Postwar stabilization efforts are very difficult. "It is pretty clear the coalition can win in Afghanistan and Iraq in one way or another, but it will be a long, hard slog."

AP has picked this up, so expect to see Rip Van Rummy questioned about this, we'll be treated to some whining and yelling. No resignation in sight, though.