The LAT follows up the Washington Times‘ scoop that Gen. McChrystal may sub out non-combat troops for combat forces in order to keep the aggregate total of troops static, a tactic worthy of Deputy Bill Rawls. How could that work?

"They just stare out from the tower. So let’s bring in contractors," the Pentagon official said. "Now you can have a thousand more troops in the field."

Engage snark: what could go wrong there? 

Snark switched off. I just filed a piece for the Washington Independent about how the most egregious security-contractor violations are committed not by Defense Department contractors but by State Department contractors, a point that tends to get glossed over by the term "contractors." Even so, it’s hard to look at the record of security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan and not take a deep breath when reading that quote.

Update: And here’s that piece.