Every Civilian's Death Diminishes Us, Collectively.

Iraq Has Gone From Being On The Brink To Being On The Mend, And It Clearly Has Some Big Advantages.

Let's Remember That The Reason We Are There Is That We Have Vital Interests In Afghanistan, Hugely Important National Interests, As Do The Other Countries Involved.

Syria Has Allowed Its Soil To Be Transited By Foreign Fighters Who Have Come From A Variety Of Source Countries In The Gulf Area And In The - In North African Countries.there Are Some Signs That That May Have Been Reduced Somewhat In The Last Couple Of Months. We Need To Watch That A Bit And See If That Is The Case.

Even The Interior Ministry In Riyadh Was Hit. Since Then, The Saudis Have Employed A Very Intelligent And Comprehensive Approach To Counter Al-qaida, Including Precise Operations Based On Good Intelligence, Changes In Their Corrections Facilities, Superb Strategic Communications Programs And A Host Of Other Initiatives - All Of Which, Together, Have Helped Saudi Arabia Achieve Impressive Results In Their Fight Against Extremists.

The Question Is Always How You Get The Number Of Troops Needed. They Do Not Have To Be Coalition Forces. We Also Have To Expand The Training Program For The Afghan National Army And The National Police, In Particular. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Already Announced Support For A Significant Increase In The Afghan Army.