John Burns: “He is utterly resistant to any idea there could be any separation of those two entities, he is Libya.”

The American commanders here warned early on that putting 30,000 more troops into this fight was bound to mean that there would be more casualties.

The vast majority of Iraqis and certainly the vast majority of Baghdadis... will welcome this American troop increase because it's about the only thing that may, in the short to medium term, bring a greater degree of stability.

The idea that you have a political leader, the prime minister, right involved in the operational chain of command, picking targets, picking who you go after and who you don't go after.

There's no doubt that the resignation of the Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld has had a liberating effect. There's no doubt there is now a freer air about this.