3pm Update . . .

Today's USA Today has a graphic of the battle on page 8A. Three interesting bits: 1. Caption notes that Marines in the north are sealing off tunnels. This is very good news. Whether we have stumbled upon tunnels or had prior intelligence about them, denying their use to the insurgents, and forcing them to fight above-ground is a positive for us. 2. Another caption notes that the soccer field in the NE part of town is where insurgents are burying their dead -- doesn't say how long they have been doing this. Interesting . . . 3. Finally, another caption states, "Soldiers from Britain's Black Watch battalion were not part of the major assault but patrolled the west bank of the Euphrates River to disrupt any insurgent movement in and out of Fallujah." Wow! So the Black Watch is that far north! All previous stories we've covered here have indicated that the Black Watch was further to the east and to the south . . . and on the eastern side of the Euphrates, not the west . . . more to come on this tonight as I take another close look at the imagery and maps in my commander center. Also: An Alert Reader notes that we will get little detail in the press about successful techniques the US forces are using because they will want to use thm again in Ramadi. Excellent point. Sometimes though, bits and pieces can be gleaned from news reports, and we'll keep doing just that.