War correspondent Dexter Filkins on the Hugh Hewitt Show

The New York Times' Dexter Filkins sat for an absolutely riveting interview with Hugh Hewitt on Hewitt's radio program. Those unlucky enough to miss it owe it to themselves to read the transcript in full.

Here's a teaser:

HH: …who among with other fearless people, “they went to the slaughter, thousands and thousands of them, editors and pamphleteers, judges and police officers, and women like Widjan Quzay. The insurgents were brilliant at that. They could spot a fine mind or a tender soul wherever it might be, chase it down and kill it dead. The heart of a nation, the precision was astounding.” Are there any of them left?

DF: I think there are. I mean, remarkably, remarkably. But you know, it’s funny, because people, I used to get e-mails from people, you know, friends, whoever, and people would say why can’t they govern themselves? What’s wrong with them? How come they’re not, how come they don’t get with the program? How come they’re not grateful? And there’s your answer. I mean, every person who stepped forward to try to make a difference was killed. I mean, and it just happened over and over and over again. But what I think is remarkable, what’s really remarkable, is that they’re still coming.

And we had politicians here who wanted more Iraqis to stand up by withdrawing our troops.