It's usually helpful — and a relief — to hear the military's explanation of events cut through the media's finely applied layers of bovine excrement. Here's Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt:

Good afternoon. The coalition continues offensive operations to ensure a stable Iraq in order to repair infrastructure, stimulate the economy and transfer sovereignty. To that end, in the past 24 hours the coalition conducted 2,000 patrols, 26 offensive operations, 46 Air Force and Navy sorties, and captured 57 anti-coalition suspects. In the northern area of operations, 47 police officers from Najaf began a weeklong advanced skills training program at the Irbil police academy. This training will enhance their capabilities and provide officers from both regions the opportunity to build better relationships and share effective tactics, techniques and procedures.

When asked several questions about the Sadr-beset south of Iraq, Kimmitt had the following to say:

Number one, these fights that we are having against Mugtada militia are not stretching us thin at all. They are pretty much street thugs with weapons. They don't present much of a military threat. They're a nuisance. They're a harassment. And sadly, as you can imagine with street thugs with weapons, sometimes they kill and wound our soldiers. But in engagement after engagement, they have not been able to stand and fight. They're incapable of acting and responding as a disciplined force.

And it's sad that they have taken to hiding within the holy sites for the Shi'a religion as their only capability to defend themselves because they know that we have one of two choices, which is to either attack them and risk provoking an outcome which would have strategic implications, or we can be a little more precise, reposition if necessary.

As Kimmitt explained earlier, most residents in areas frequented by these knuckle-draggers are imploring the Allies to make like exterminators and zap the vermin. So much for popular support. As Roger Hedgecock said on the radio today of Iraqi patriots like Izzedin Salim, "these are the real martyrs." Kimmitt's words encapsulate the saga in post-Saddam Iraq: enemies not worth our undue fear, certainly not our surrender.