Just a few minutes ago, I spoke with Michael Yon, who called from somewhere in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to speak to Michael since the George Will column demanding a withdrawal from the Af-Pak theater, and Michael disagreed with Will’s analysis — especially with the idea that we could switch tactics to long-range attacks on terrorist camps and have that be sufficient. Michael doesn’t blame the American people for losing patience, but says that’s exactly what we need, and that we can still win in the long term.

I also asked Michael about his disembed order from the British Ministry of Defense, and he’s as mystified as the rest of us. We talked about the Pentagon scandal of screening embed reporters for pro-military bent, and the enduring impulse of CYA. Be sure to watch it all.

Don’t forget to hit Michael’s tip jar, either. Michael operates as an independent reporter, which means his mission depends on reader contributions. Let’s keep this independent voice operating for our benefit in Afghanistan.