Quick Hits

It has been a very long time since I've written anything here, so I wanted to post some quick hits on stuff happening right now:

• The biggest news, if correct, is being reported by Drudge. According to his website, President Bush will outline specific military, political, and economic benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet. He also reports that they have agreed to the benchmarks. To me this is the key. Iraqi leadership must be a part of the process. We will learn the benchmarks somtime after the presidential speech due this week.
• I was saddened to see that the new Archbishop of Warsaw, Stanislaw Wielgus, stepped down after confirming his role as an agent of Poland's feared communist-era secret police. While in College I wrote a paper that discussed the role of the Catholic Church as change agent during communist rule in Poland. The strength of the Polish Church contrasted with the weakness of the Cuban Church. It's sad to see the Church tarnished in this way, especially because it was such an effective bulwark against godless Communism.
• I have been following the Duke Lacrosse Rape case for a while and I am appalled with the way the prosecutor has handled things. A history professor named K.C. Johnson has been a close observer of the proceedings and offers an update on his blog. If the case interests you it is worth reviewing. Newsweek has an interview with one of the accused, Reade Selgimann, and it is a postive piece. The Durham D.A. declined to comment.
• Iraq's oil wells may soon open to foreign investment. Good. Some will decry the terms that are more favorable than the norm, but given the security situation it makes sense to provide incentives to invest. Iraq must integrate with the global marketplace if it is to go from security threat to strength.
• This is only available to subscribers of the WSJ, but it is a moving article about survivor's guilt for one Iraq War vet. His friend and superior saved his life by jumping on an insurgent grenade, and for that bit of heroism, Cpl. Jason Dunham has been posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.