Public Enemy Number One

Neither Walter Pincus, Bob Woodward, nor Dana Priest are public enemy number one. However, their concerted effort in tomorrow morning's Washington Post was published a few minutes ago online. The article is short and blunt for a concerted effort, but its claims are important. Basically, it says that U.S. intelligence has reason to believe that Saddam was in the bunker when it was hit.

"The preponderance of the evidence is he was there when the building blew up," said one senior U.S. official with access to sensitive intelligence. The official added that Hussein's sons, Qusay and Uday, may also have been at the compound. "He didn't get out" beforehand, another senior official said of the Iraqi president. A third administration official said "there is evidence that he [Hussein] was at least injured" because of indications that medical attention was urgently summoned on his behalf.

Whether dead or alive, the Iraqi President has been extremely inactive during this first day of open war, as Anglosphere troops invade en masse. This bodes well, suggesting that he is either indeed dead or has lost his ability to communicate with many of the elements formerly under his command.

Instant Replay wishes Godspeed to Anglosphere forces inside Iraq. This war has but one logical conclusion, and I pray that it will be reached with the fewest possible casualties. It was gratifying to learn on ABC News 5 that a column of U.S. Marines declined to fire on a truckfull of Iraqi soldiers that appeared to pose no threat. Self-control is a virtue that will be of great value in Iraq's future. The difference in the attitudes of U.S. troops between this operation and Vietnam, where they were (at least portrayed as) nihilist and uninspired, says a lot about the professionalism of the modern American military.