Clear as Mud

Today's Diogenes Award--presented sporadically to the person or persons who shines the light of truth on the myths, urban legends, and lies of people in power, which are too often picked up and amplifiied by an uncritical press--goes to the Washington Post's Walter Pincus for his report on a USAID assessment of the security situation in Iraq. In essence, it outlines the complex, multi-faceted nature of the violence there--not just the "insurgency" but also the internecine conflicts between Sunnis and Shiites, religious fanatics and secularists, among others. It is beyond a mess, and no one wants the U.S. there, except as cover for their perfidy or as an enemy to organize against.