I think the mulling is over.

At least I didn't say the 'O(ld)' word :)

Actually, the word that ought to be in quotes is "U.S." If you read the story, it appears that it was actually Iraqi forces who were primarily doing the work (and providing the media quotes). This is the new big trend that the MSM has to suppress: Iraqi forces increasingly taking responsibility for security.

Good point, but I am skeptical of the precise involvement of Iraqi troops. Not that they weren't involved, but it's alwas in the Iraqis and US's interest to overstate their involvement, you know?

Again-- not saying you're not right. Just saying I'm not accepting everyone's word at face value.

Nah, they have Iraqi commando battalions with SF advisors that are the main shock troops on these things.

And as you may have noticed in the first wave of OIF, we generally tell the reporters we're thinking of hitting someplace when we're ten miles past it. The press never know where the actual manuver units are anyway, and as for warning all the hajis on the objective, they didn't know we were coming until they looked down and saw a sucking chest wound and their neighbor's house got JDAM'ed.

In central Baghdad, a suicide car bomber yesterday targeted a passing convoy of private U.S. security agents, wounding three passers-by.

The car bomb bit was more interesting than the raid - anyone with a brain stem knows there's a lot of imported talent crossing in from Syria and that we'd eventually get around to smacking them around.

The quality of the car bomb recruits must be way down if they're willing to waste them on some contractors...