As far as intelligent questions go, I have a feeling the officers giving these briefings can't help but feel that they're stepping into enemy territory every time they appear, considering the antics of the media (our own worst of all) since they began. Not an atmosphere conducive to intelligent discussion, to say the least.
I commend Gen. Franks and Gen. Brooks for showing such amazing restraint throughout these briefings. I would have popped a gasket by the 2nd question.
Our domestic briefing reporters know that the "real news" is happening on the battlefield with the embedded reporters (a fact the Generals tend to subtlely remind the reporters) and the briefing reporters are taking out their frustrations out on the Generals. It's really making them look bad because it's a televised event and most of these flunkies are not used to being in front of a camera. You can easily tell the print newsies from the TV reporters just from the hair and the clothing.
On the mine subject, a NPR reporter tried to imply in today's briefing that our forces are recklessly spreading landmines like the Russians in Afghanistan or the Communists in South East Asia. There's an Eurocentric movement that temporarily had Princess Dianna as a symbolic head organized to outlaw landmines. Gen. Brooks smacked the question down saying that the mines in question were Iraqi and found on Iraqi road systems as our forces moved into Iraq. Any mines we have used to date have been placed in defensive grids around our troop emplacements and will be removed after the war.
Again, Gen. Franks and Gen. Brooks have the patience of saints to deal with this and run a war. Talk about multitasking...