Novak was okay before he went through some sort of life change.
My younger brother is a sergeant first class who has just completed his third or fourth tour. From what I gather from him, Novak is right on point. We have a mess not just in Iraq, but also in Afghanistan. The Bush Regime is more interested in doing things for political gains than for any other reason. Troops are discouraged. They can see the politics.
Novak is an Arabist, and hence unhappy to see Saddam's forces so whipped.