Cut and Run
(Ed. Note: I thought about using the ol' Liz Phair song title that uses the "f" word, which would have been just as appropriate, commentary-wise. But I want to make sure not to offend any censors--or mothers/mothers-in-law-to-be--out there.)

Looks like Johnny Howard, current Prime Minister of Australia who's most likely going to be voted out of office on October 9, got the full measure of support from the U.S. today. Here's the only part of today's White House press briefing regarding today's attack against the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia:

Q: Jakarta bombing. Got anything on it?

MR. McCLELLAN: What about it, just looking for a comment?

Q: Any details we might not have heard, or a reaction?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we condemn these kind of attacks in the strongest possible terms. It is -- it shows the true nature of the terrorists, and it is a grim reminder that we remain engaged in a global war on terrorism. The terrorists will be defeated. This is a tactic that is -- that's similar to tactics that have been used by Jemaat-e-Islam. And our thoughts and prayers are with the victims.

Thanks.

Q: Thanks, Scott.

One of the main components of the Coalition Of the Willing (or COW, as I like to refer to 'em) is attacked by Al Qaeda, and that's all we got? "What about it?" (And don't even get me started on the brusqueness and continued myopia of the American press to events in the rest of the world that doesn't "directly concern" the U.S.)

By the by, terrorism within Iraq seems to be working for the insurgency, as noted by Juan Cole:

The Guardian reports that the rest of the foreign aid agencies still operating in Iraq are now planning to withdraw, in the wake of the taking of the two Italian hostages. I don't cover the hostage crises ordinarily here because I consider them artificial news and bmuch elieve that dwelling on them plays into the hands of terrorists. But I have to say that the tactic has been enormously successful.

The hostage-takers are trying to force agencies and companies out of Iraq in order to deprive the Americans and the caretaker government of their support. And, company after company and agency after agency has packed up and left. As a result, the Americans and the Allawi government are far more isolated than they had expected. The withdrawal of so many companies from Iraq would slow the reconstruction. Some of the companies did trucking, and their absence means goods aren't moving. They aren't investing in Iraq or hiring Iraqis, so the money that would have come into the economy isn't arriving.