Nobody home

This, from CNN today:

"Troops had expected to encounter heavy resistance in their push to clear the city of insurgents before elections in January. So far, however, fighting has been light."

In soccer, we'd call it a telegraph pass. In short, if you looked and/or otherwise signalled to whom you were going to make a pass before attempting to do so, you telegraphed it, thereby making it much easier on defencemen to intercept, block, etc. How the US could realistically expect that the bulk of Sunni "insurgents," particularly "the most wanted man in Iraq," Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, would remain in Falluja to await their murder and/or capture is plain idiotic. What the HELL are we doing over there. So again, think of all the resources (including hospitals and ambulances, no less) and LIVES that are being decimated ... for no reason whatsoever, particularly when the so-called most wanted persons have obviously already left. What ever happened to sneak attacks, or sending in special strike forces for strategic hits. Oh, that's Hollywood, or is it. Indeed, BBC:

"The city was sealed off Sunday, and many insurgents could have slipped out before then, Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz said. As for al-Zarqawi, Metz said, "I think it would be fair to assume that he has left.'"

Enter Sandman....