Ukraine: Government troops began pulling back their heavy weapons today in accord with the recently negotiated ceasefire. Both Ukraine and rebel troops are supposed to step back, creating a neutral buffer zone roughly 30 to 85 miles wide. The rebels have yet to move, but they have two weeks to do it. And in the first exchange of prisoners, 139 Ukrainian soldiers were swapped for 52 rebels.

Permawar: The Pentagon revealed this past week that the US is making plans to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces in an attempt this spring to take back the city of Mosul from Islamic State extremists. The effort to re-take Iraq’s second largest city could require up to 25,000 troops to confront at the most 2,000 ISIS fighters. Planners expect vicious house-to-house fighting in a city wired with booby traps and improvised explosive devices.

It will be a test for the Obama administration’s ability to fight ISIS without putting American ground troops into the fight.

   Republican Congressional leaders were immediately angered that the Pentagon basically sent a message saying, “Here we come” and when to expect us. The Republicans said in a statement that the disclosures “not only risk the success of our mission, but could also cost the lives of US, Iraqi, and coalition forces.”

Pressed: Mother Jones magazine is going after Fox News bloviator Bill O’Reilly, questioning the television host about over his experience while covering the last few days of the 1982 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina. It’s similar to the Brian Williams situation.

O’Reilly had said, “I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete. And the army was chasing us.”

The international press covered the war from the comfort of Buenos Aires, 1200 miles from the fighting and no other journalists who were there claim to have been in a war zone. There was a riot when the Argies lost the war and O’Reilly claimed to be the only CBS reporter on the street and the army was shooting and killing people. There were no reports of that at the time and other CBC veterans say O’Reilly and his cameraman were not the only team on the street, and no CBS cameraman was injured.

But on the air Friday O’Reilly called Mother Jones writer David Corn, a “liar,” a “left-wing assassin,” and a “despicable guttersnipe.”

Former CBS Correspondent Eric Engberg, who was there, joined the fight on his Facebook page writing, “We — meaning the American networks — were all in the same, modern hotel and we never saw any troops, casualties or weapons. It was not a war zone or even close. It was an ‘expense account zone.’”

Other CBS veterans noted that O’Reilly was quickly pulled out of Argentina for being a disruptive jerk. Engberg wrote, “He is misrepresenting the situation he covered, and he is obviously doing so to burnish his credentials as a ‘war correspondent,’ which is not the work he was performing during the Falklands war.”

The Winner Is: Hollywood’s annual award marathon begins at 8:30 tonight EST and continues forever. Former Doogie Howser actor Neil Patrick Harris hosts the Oscar show. The race for Best Picture appears to be between the quirky “Birdman,” starring former “Batman” Michael Keaton, and “Boyhood,” the revolutionary movie that took 12 years to make watching a boy grow into a young man.

Expect good dresses, bad dresses, winners who didn’t plan what to say, winners who have no idea what to say, winners who thank a list of people you don’t know, and maybe a few bright, funny, and memorable moments.

Friends, Romans: In response to recent threats by the Islamic State that “We will conquer Rome,” some Italians have taken to Twitter to give the invaders advice. One said, “Be careful on the highway-Ring Road: there’s too much traffic, you would remain trapped!” and another pitched in, “hey just a tip: don’t come in train, it’s every time late!” Another advised, “Go to eat at Gigi Er Puzzone.”

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