Stripes headline for Saturday--Commanders: Iraq Insurgency Declines

[lebkuchen]

Stripes headline for Sunday--"5 GIs killed on violent day in Sunni Triangle"

(it was actually 7 killed in separate incidents, add two or three more to the total if we can't find the guy in the capsized boat and the two in the helicopter who went looking for him)

The DoD in DC, which puts Stripes together, would be prudent to hold off on the hearts, flowers and rainbow promises until the unit rotation of 250,000 troops is completed, which won't be until the end of Feb.

Speaking of "hearts and flowers," this is in today's Stripes:

"Civilian contractors work nonstop to blow up Iraq’s ordnance stockpile"

Civilian experts under a $300 million Army contract are working to destroy captured Iraqi ammunition — an effort that reduces enemy stockpiles and alleviates soldiers from hazardous demolition duty.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=20056

Gee, and the contractors don't even get a day off!! How selfless! How would our troops survive without the help of civilian contractors?