NEXT!

Our man in Fallujah, General Jasim Mohamed Saleh, is challenging U.S. statements that the 'insurgents' in Fallujah are 'foreign Islamist gunmen, some with possible links to al-Qaeda."

According to this Reuters report, Saleh states: "There are no foreign fighters in Fallujah."

I don't have a clue if there are foreign fighters in Fallujah or not. The U.S. Has made an unqualified statement that there are foreign fighters in Fallujah. If this is so, that must have evidence that they would be willing to share.

With all of the atrocious acts surfacing last week, the U.S. is under much closer scrutiny. Anything that the military officials in Iraq can do in an attempt to salvage any semblance of integrity should be done.

He said, she said.

In the same article we find this nugget:

A U.S. official said rank would not necessarily exclude anyone from a role in the new Iraqi forces, although another official in the Iraq administration said the policy of excluding senior figures of Saddam's regime remained "rock solid".

I think it's safe to say that some former Ba'ath party officials will be in positions of authority at some point.

Or, we can simply change the meanings of: 'exclusion' 'policy' 'senior' 'officials' 'rock solid'...you're getting the idea. A semantic game.

If there's one thing we've certainly learned from Bush's Excellent Iraq Adventure, it's that what is unconscionable today, becomes the fashionable thing to do tomorrow.

This isn't seen as win for all Iraqis. Kurds and Shi'ites are none to pleased to see that the U.S. has cut a deal with the largely Sunni city of Fallujah, while their battles rage on.

As for General Saleh's future, if this contrarian statement about foreign fighters in Fallujah is seen as a part of a wider break with U.S. policy, he'll be replaced. Most likely by U.S. marines at first, who are waiting to resume the siege of Fallujah should things not turn out as negotiated.

Saleh is on the griddle, but so are the U.S. occupation policies.