General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained to everyone today why they should stop pointing out that the war plan sucks: it's bad for the troops. “It is not helpful to have those kind of comments come out when we've got troops in combat, because first of all, they're false, they're absolutely wrong, they bear no resemblance to the truth, and it's just -- it's just -- harmful to our troops that are out there fighting very bravely, very courageously.”

It doesn't really seem to me that the troops need the media to point out to them that the war plan sucks; I think they know. I've seen a foot soldier quoted in the paper every day since the war started saying, “this sure isn't what we expected.”

Myers also tried out a new excuse for why 100,000 more troops are only now being shifted into the theater: tactical surprise. With only 250,000 troops massed on the border, the Iraqis were completely taken by surprise by the American attack. 350,000 would be a dead giveaway. An ultimatum by President Bush saying, “get out within 48 hours or we attack” is apparently not a dead giveaway; I guess you have to be a general to understand why. General Myers engaged in a little question-and-answer with himself, perhaps worried that someone else would answer first: “Do you think there was tactical surprise? I think there was.” I am a little concerned about what takes General Myers by surprise. Which is probably why he doesn't think the war plan sucks.

In another brilliant stroke of tactical surprise, the Pentagon suddenly redirected the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the front, even though they were scheduled to go home after six months overseas. The war planners, of course, had anticipated this all along, but did not issue the orders until five days ago. The element of surprise, you see.