The Daily Muck

General David Petraeus’ own statistics reveal that there are now even fewer Iraqi forces capable of operating independently than there were at the start of the year. The number of Iraqi battalions considered “not ready” has more than tripled while the number of battalions deemed to be prepared has fallen 20%. Some U.S. and Iraqi officials fear that “return on success” could return Iraq to the chaos of 2006. (Boston Globe)

David Petraeus thinks the US will be able to draw down troops by December. Obviously he doesn’t read the classifieds, where commanders posted private contractor openings in combat-supply warehouses because over half the soldiers supposed to work there have been moved to patrol duty. (Washington Post)

The Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are both failing to meet the basic accounting requirements set forth by Congress a decade ago in The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act, and thus can’t be audited. No wonder that in Iraq “$9 billion has gone missing, unaccounted for, in a frenzy of mismanagement and greed.” (AP, Vanity Fair)

Thanks to a Florida statute of limitation, Rep. Mark Foley is unlikely to face any criminal charges. The best evidence against Foley is an online exchange with a 17-year old page, which took place in February of 2003, which is outside the scope of the statute. (ABC’s The Blotter)

The Department of Justice, which apparently can face audits, has been dishing out $7 million for conferences, lavish meals, and snacks. The agency spent more than $13k on cookies and brownies alone at the “Weed and Seed” conference. Munchies at the DOJ? Who knew? (USA Today)

An internal report from gives the Veterans Affairs Department a mixed review of treatment options for post traumatic stress disorder. The number of veterans seeking help for PTSD has increased, but the number of visits per veteran has decreased, reflecting broader reports that more soldiers are getting lower quality medical care. (McClatchy)

Water-boarding has officially gone down the drain. It’s been removed from the list of CIA approved interrogation techniques, leaving ; only five more “enhanced interrogation techniques” first authorized by a presidential finding in 2002. (ABC’s The Blotter)