The military is offering a piss-poor excuse for why it’s suddenly disembedding ace independent war correspondent Michael Yon:

On Saturday, 10 April, a message came from military that this embed has ended. No reason was offered. The troops here have no idea why. On Sunday a reason was given: overcrowding by journalists. Haven’t seen a journalist in weeks.

Why would they do this? Let’s hope Michael’s wrong here:

I had gone to great expense to be here with 5/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and promised to stay with them until they leave Afghanistan. Then suddenly a nameless feature decided to pull the plug. The decision likely came from General officer level. It is a bad sign indicating that they think they are losing the war and don’t want anyone there to see it. Saw this in Iraq.

Again, I hope he’s wrong. But the disembedding was rather sudden and comes around the same time Hamid Karzai talks about joining the Taliban while assuring local elders he won’t permit American military operations in Kandahar until they approve.

Many ordinary Americans, including a seemingly endless list of military family members, follow Michael Yon’s work to understand what’s truly happening in Afghanistan. Now some higher-ups in the military have decided to stifle his reports by suddenly disembedding him.

For some reason I’m having trouble believing there are eighty-one journalists who simply can’t find a place in Afghanistan unless Michael Yon leaves. It’s more likely that he’s an independent voice, and they don’t want the thorough dispatches he sends reaching America anymore.

It’s a shame. But Michael assures us he’ll continue to report on the Afghan war, just from outside the wire. He’ll report more from the Afghan civilian perspective and that should be interesting. But it will be a damn shame to lose the valuable insight into the daily lives of our brave men and women.