So You Can't Man an Army -- Would You Like Our Air Force? Go Ahead, Take It.

President Bush is set to unveil a troop draw down from Iraq later this week. But the Air Force says one of his options won't fly.

Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker reports that the administration is apparently taking a page from the Kosovo play book and shifting to an increased reliance on airpower -- instead of ground troops.

That would reduce troop deaths (there were no combat deaths in the Kosovo War).

But the administration appears willing to turn over control of the US Air Force's targeting missions to Iraqis. The Air Force doesn't like the idea of the Iraqis choosing their targets for them.

The Air Force worries they could wind up being used to take out rivals or warlords between factions within Iraq. (New Yorker)