Well, lets hope it's not totally like Italy. Monte Cassino wasn't a walk in the park. Maybe Patton's drive across France as a template?

Well, the very end in Italy was pretty cool, what with old Mussolini getting offed.

But it wasn't exactly the Soft Underbelly of Europe.

Well, Italy wasn't a walk in the park because after the Italians melted away, the Germans took over.

After the Iraquis melt away, who will take over? the French?

Don't look for large numbers of Iraqi prisoners. Keep in mind that the leaflets and broadcasts of the last few days/weeks/months have told the Iraqis to stay in their postions, turn tank turrets away from the periphery of the position etc. It is not prisoners that we want. It is static and unengaged forces that need only be watched from the air, not guarded by troops needed elsewhere. Out of the fight and out of the way of the advance is good enough.

On the same note, as long as Iraqi forces stay put, they will not be attacked. If they move, they would be hit by massed artillery if in range and air strikes if not. This is a possible explanation for the reports of aborted air strikes from the carriers and the B52's loaded but still on the ground. They simply aren't needed to clear the way if the Iraqi formations stay put.

Same goes for the Republican Guard formations. If they 'surrender', unless they are actually in the way or can't be bypassed outside effective range, they'll likely be left alone until later also.

If I read what's happening correctly, the worst place for an Iraqi grunt to be right now is in a position that can't be bypassed

So far: Weve seen 1st Marine Exp and UK troops take the Basra road, I expect they will be reporting good progress by morning our time, nightfall their time I expect to see a flag cermony in the Basra postoffice parking lot. 3ID is running up the Western flank virtually unopposed and apparently 2 days ahead of schedule. I havent heard or seen anything about 101st and the 82nd, so I expect they will make their debut very soon I suspect it will be to take airbases in the north to hold as forward "airbridges" ( this to make up for the lack of the turkish versions we had planned on).

I think "Shock and awe" might be pictures of the 101st walking into downtown bagdhad unopposed.

My only fear is the late-lamented Saddam is trading land for time. Id hate to try to work out an evacuation plan if things somehow go badly once weve driven all the way up to the euphrates. So now, its all a question of bridges, to quote a great line from 'a bridge too far'. Will we cross north of bagdhad, at samarra, or west at al ramadi or south at karbala.

The collective peeing of pants was reported from Riyadh, Tehran and Pyongyang today as evil dictators around the world watched the war in Iraq progress...

..witnesses reported Saddam's sorry butt being hauled from the rubble...