Pentagon ascendant

Even amid calls for his resignation for helping, in all his hubris, to cary us down a disastrous path in Iraq, Rumsfeld seems bent on increasing his department's power. From the Post:

Details of the plans are secret, but in general they envision a significantly expanded role for the military -- and, in particular, a growing force of elite Special Operations troops -- in continuous operations to combat terrorism outside of war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Developed over about three years by the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Tampa, the plans reflect a beefing up of the Pentagon's involvement in domains traditionally handled by the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department.

First, anyone should be concerned about attempts to increase the unilateral authority of the military, as it is uniquely situated to usurp our power, especially during wartime. Secondly, in an international climate so lacking in reasonable diplomacy, decreasing the role of the State Department is very worrying, as its power is already so diminished. Lastly, what's this about fighting terrorists outside war zones? I thought we're fighting them over there so we won't have to fight them here. /snark