Lots and lots of news right now on the September "New Product Rollout^TM" for the Afghan Escalation. The New York Times weighs in here. The Washington Post, here. George Will is ruffling feathers with his "Time To Get Out Of Afghanistan" column. And Col. Lang has wise words:

Assuming that the Post has gotten this right, it must be said that the logic of thinking that it follows from the goal of preventing Al-Qa'ida's use of Afghanistan as a base that one must rebuild and create a new Afghanistan in a massive and probably unending COIN campaign is totally flawed.

The president's announced goals are essentially negative, "defeating al-Qa'ida and..."

The goals of COIN are essentially positive, i.e., "build a better Afghanistan."

How did this happen? How did McChrystal and his "brain trust" get this so wrong? Ah, it is COIN's "Siren Song" with its soothing aura of progressive benevolence and pseudo-intellectual philosophy.

Once again, the costs inherent in COIN are not worth paying if one does not own the place being fought over.

The president should reject the assumptions underlying the McChrystal Report. Clemenceau was right. Generals should not be allowed to set the agenda for war.

Lastly, Cordesman is worth a read.