But I thought it was the Media's fault we're losing in Iraq...

Back in May, the bozos over at Powerline commented on how well they thought things were going in Iraq:

So, is Iraq a disaster? There is little or no objective evidence to support that claim, but any claim, made often enough, will gain acceptance if the basic data that contradict it are never mentioned.

Given that Powerline and reality inhabit separate universes, it's unlikely that this memo sent recently by Ambassador Khalizad to the State Department will do anything to dissuade them from their belief that we're winning in Iraq. For the rest of us, however, the contents of this memo are nothing short of terrifying. Here are some highlights, courtesy of Kevin Drum:

1. Women are being increasingly harrassed: made to wear a veil, told not to use cell phones or drive a car, and being forced to wear the hijab at work. Men who wear shorts or jeans have come under attack from "what staff members describe as Wahabis and Sadrists."

2. Different neighborhoods are controlled by different militias, and staff members have to be careful to dress and speak differently in each one. "People no longer trust most neighbors." Even the upscale Mansur district is now an "unrecognizable ghost town." A newspaper editor reports that ethnic cleansing is taking place in virtually every Iraqi province.

3. Electricity is available for only a few hours a day and fuel lines can require waits as long as 12 hours.

4. Being known as an embassy employee "is a death sentence if overheard by the wrong people."

5. "Objectivity, civility, and logic" from staff members are becoming harder to come by as pressure outside the Green Zone increases. The embassy can't get good information if people become too scared to speak honestly.