So I’ve been dreading this for some time. But this is going to be my last post for FDL, a community I’ve been honored and fucking thrilled to join ever since Jane let me take Attackerman 2.0 here in June 2008. My departure is pretty mundane: the congressional press galleries are wary of giving me permanent credentials while I’m affiliated here, and I don’t want to impede any of my reporting responsibilities at my day job with Wired‘s Danger Room. So off I go.

It’s really hard for me to imagine writing Attackerman without it being a part of FDL. I’ve been incredibly privileged to host it among a community as thoughtful, challenging, provocative and passionate as this one. Thanks to everyone who challenged me in comments: even if I got pissed, you helped me reexamine the weak points in my thinking. I love seeing FDL expand, grow and develop. Now I’ll watch it happen as a commenter, well-wisher and reader.

Just in case you were wondering: this has nothing to do with the Lamo/Manning issue. No one at Wired has ever said anything to me about my affiliation with FDL being remotely problematic; no one at FDL has ever said anything to me about my affiliation with Wired being remotely problematic. Professional circumstance brought me to this point, but it’s my call. You will never hear or read me saying anything about FDL except how awesome it is and will continue to be. (I am, admittedly, guilty of bad timing, as I have been and probably will continue to be for the rest of my life.)

So. Attackerman 3.0 is going to be a stripped-down, no-frills, happily amateurish affair, available for your reading pleasure at http://spencerackerman.typepad.com/attackerman/. I’ll write about the same old national-security stuff, but expect the pace to be more languid, much more like a hobbyblog, while I focus on my day job and take care of stuff like planning my wedding in the new year. I hope you’ll stop by, or at least tweet at me. I’d really hate it if this were really goodbye.

BACK IN D.C. — Via Juan Cole, Nouri al-Maliki clarifies his intentions for U.S. troops in a Wall Street Journal interview:

‘ WSJ: Some American officials have spoken about contingency plans being drawn now in Washington for the possibility that some American troops will stay after 2011. Do you know about these contingency plans, and do you need troops?

Mr. Maliki: I do not care about what’s being said. I care about what’s on paper and what has been agreed to. The withdrawal of forces agreement [Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA] expires on Dec. 31, 2011. The last American soldier will leave Iraq.

Secondly this agreement is sealed and at the time we designated it as sealed and not subject to extension, except if the new government with Parliament’s approval wanted to reach a new agreement with America, or another country, that’s another matter. This agreement is not subject to extension, not subject to alteration, it is sealed, it expires on Dec. 31 [2011]. ‘

“The last American soldier” probably exempts trainers for Iraqi pilots and other residual elements. But if anything, this reads like Maliki warning the Obama administration not to make any requests. And since Obama will need to cite the end of the Iraq war as an accomplishment during his reelection campaign, that probably amounts to an alignment of political interests.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1181-10
December 28, 2010
DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn., died Dec. 27 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .