With our wings behind our backs . . .

Item:

American and NATO military leaders — worried by Taliban propaganda claiming that air strikes have killed an inordinate number of civilians, and persuaded by “hearts and minds” enthusiasts that the key to winning the war is the Afghan population’s goodwill — have largely relinquished the strategic advantage of American air dominance.

This has been a problem for about a year now, but it's potentially critical as thing ratchet up. There was a story in a recent Wired; the excerpt above comes from the Times, here.