Roderick: Also, where does the notion that the Anbar sheiks did this conversion spontaneously and independently without first being contacted by U.S. and Iraqi authorities come from?

No one is making that claim. But Righty talking points are making the claim that the February-July 2007 Surge somehow caused the Anbar Awakening, which the Pentagon first briefed reporters on in September 2006.

Newtland: We’re trying real hard not to do the same and it’s cost us lives but perhaps saved our souls. Perhaps.

Souls are saved by trusting in the atoning work of the Prince of Peace, not by trusting in the sacrifices of our own soldiers. No perhaps about it.

Doug: Additionally, the terrorist would need a handy dandy portable radar setup to find either the Predator or the Reaper prior to arming the Stinger.

And that would make the terrorist vulnerable to being taken out by a HARM missile following right back down his signal path.

RWE: Perhaps a better example is the cruise missiles and upgraded Pershings we put in Europe in the 80’s, thus ensuring that the diplomacy associated with the INF treaty had a chance to work.

Russia is threatening to pull out of the INF treaty if the US deploys missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia is also threatening to return in force to Cuba if the US deploys missile defense in the aforementioned countries. One gets the idea that Russia really doesn’t like missile defense.