[Tallguy]

They gotta go reload, my friend.

I am probably giving the Iraqi's too much credit for operational-art here, but my first thought concerning the Basra column was feint. The real action is going to happen further north and our Attack Helos are socked-in. It's gonna be a slugfest.

[TexanToTheCore]

I think they were trying to make a run for the desert and get lost in the sandstorm. They probably felt that they had no choice. Tough darts, farmer.

[buwaya]

Doesn't seem likely. This attack was too small for that.

[OldFriend]

Methinks the Iraqi forces are leaderless.

[brewcrew]

This whole operation has been pretty much like shooting fish in a barrel. A whole week in with less than 20 U.S. KIA, Bill O'Reilly reported last night that his sources told him we've killed 25,000 Iraqis (which seems a bit high to me). I'm still not too sure how much credit they deserve for operational-art. I hope you're wrong, but I believe we are prepared for the worst if it comes to that.