Fallujah, Iraq--

I have a new pet-peeve.

Some would say it is not new and that it just reached a tipping point.

The peeve?  Columnists, politicians, pundits, talking heads, talk-show hosts, bloggers and humans in general trying to comment on the situation in Iraq when they are not in Iraq, have never been in Iraq and will never go to Iraq.

The tipping point?

This column by Joe Klein.

(And a few other things...)

I liked Primary colors.  I read his columns.  But now he is talking about things that I am currently living.  To me the Anbar Awakening is not a news item, it is flesh and blood.

I talked with the men of the Shihabi neighborhood watch--a spontaneous awakening in its own right--and told them that their area, the greater Kharma area, has a special place in my heart because I have friends whose flesh was pierced and who shed blood in that area.

I did a little checking and Joe Klein has not been in Anbar recently.

There are a whopping 12 embeds in Anbar right now--an extraordinarily high number for Anbar.  (But Michael Yon, who is equal to 10 regular embedded reporters, is here and is kicking ass like usual!)

Everyone else commenting on Anbar and the Awakening--with the exception of a few people who have just left--really do not know what they are talking about.

The situation moves so fast that Klein's discussion of the political situation may be completely flipping--if the intel I picked up is accurate.

When I get home in a week, people will ask me, "How is Iraq?"

I will tell them, "I don't know."

They will look at me strange and I will respond, "It is too big of a question.  I can tell you about Fallujah, Habbaniyah, Khalidiyah, Kharma, South Dora and West Rasheed.  Maybe a few other general things, but that is it."

And even then, I will leave a lot of what know out intentionally or just plain forget a lot.

I've spent two months here and that is all I know about.  My time in Baghdad left me more confused than enlightened.

Iraq moves so fast and information is so hard to come by I know Generals who have to go visit company commanders unannounced to get the straight scoop on that area.

And if Generals have to convoy out to little outposts because they can't get the picture from their power point briefings--how out of the loop is a politician who watches a few power point presentations, meets a few guys and gals from the District and flys out?

Which brings me to my pet-peeve.  How can a columnist who relies on briefings from a General who relies on briefings from someone else in many cases know anything about Iraq?  And at least Klein has talked to a few Generals.  Most columnists just seem to a lot of vomit words (see the Bob Herbert Column Generator.) 

And if people commenting on Iraq is a per-peeve for me, how must Omar and Michael Yon feel?  Compared to Yon I'm a fly-by-night operator.  Compared to Omar I'm a tourist on a guided tour.

Exit Question:  What is the best, easiest and fastest way to guage the strength/influence of AQIZ in an area?

The first person who is not in Iraq, has never been to Iraq and will never go to Iraq who gets it right wins a copy of Outside The Wire on DVD.

Send Answers Here. 

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