[Cicero]

I confess I am more nervous about this northern area than I am about Baghdad. Presumably our forces have had time to correct for the betrayal by Turkey, but I won't feel confident about "Plan B" in the north until we control the northern oil fields at Kirkuk and Mosul. That means occupation by American forces, because if the Kurdish forces capture them that might tempt the Turks to come in.

Turkey badly miscalculated by listening to France and refusing us passage of our northern forces. They may yet hope to recoup this gross political error with a quick invasion of northern Iraq. I hope not.

[Paradox]

"A team went there on a reconnaissance mission but the other side started firing. Before we knew it, we had captured the whole place," a KDP military official said.

"It was their fault. They shouldn't have started firing."

Hah! This made me laugh for some reason.

[xm177e2]

"A team went there on a reconnaissance mission but the other side started firing. Before we knew it, we had captured the whole place," a KDP military official said.

Oh, those zany Kurds!

[hoosiermama]

"reserved exclusively for Baath Party members who left the city when the bombing started."

This seems to be a pattern. Where have all the Baath's gone? How do we sort them out?