Hersh's Up in the Air is Up

Must read from the New Yorker. The bottom line: the war is likely to get a whole lot bloodier for Iraqis. As the US air war increases and the boots on the ground decrease the concomitant decrease in casualties will give the impression that things are getting better. The script's already been written: "The Administration’s immediate political goal after the December elections is to show that the day-to-day conduct of the war can be turned over to the newly trained and equipped Iraqi military. It has already planned heavily scripted change-of-command ceremonies, complete with the lowering of American flags at bases and the raising of Iraqi ones." Note it's a political goal—the show will go on regardless of whether the Iraqi troops are ready or not. Past Hersh columns have mentioned heavy bombing campaigns that have been underreported—if reported at all—by the western press. They've proven much easier for the White House to hide than the American body count. If Hersh is correct, as he usually is, the goal is now the appearance of winning, whatever the cost.