well, that's interesting. the linked story is yet another example of how far we have to go before iraq can be independent again: nearly half of the 700 members of iraq's army have quit. CNN, of course, doesn't allow itself to get any ideas about why these folks might have quit -- and anyway, that's not the most interesting part of the story.

i'm much more concerned with that 700 figure. 700! an army of 700! compare that to the current american occupying force (of well over 100,000), and it becomes entirely clear that the bush administration's expected exit date (july) is...well, either an outright lie or another episode of "narnia in my closet" thinking.