Here.

It's kind of interesting to follow up on a press meme, a picture or impression that the media want to get across to the readers, and how they pound away at that particular concept despite having the idea gently refuted every time it is repeated in the same session.

The idea in this particular case is that our forces are blowing up empty buildings for no particular reason other than as a show of force, with the implication that nothing useful is being accomplished. I have distilled out some of the questions to show the persistence of this. Read the interview to get the replies. Note the repetition of ke y words, like "empty." and "show-of-force."

The first question is not in this category, but I listed it to show a rather odd insertion of the "Nazi" idea into this.

Q ...And the second question is, the code name "Iron Hammer" apparently, it was reported on the wires, that was also a code name that was used during Nazi Germany. Do you have any idea who came up with this name and whether you intend to change it?

Q Hi. John Hendrin (sp) with the LA Times. You had mentioned 26 anti-coalition structures were destroyed by 4th ID in the Baqubah-Balad region. Did this include some that were empty farm houses and empty structures? And if so, what are you trying to do, deny the attackers territory, or is it a show of force? What's the goal?

Q Lourdes Navarro (sp), AP. You just mentioned that a lot of these structures were used or you believe they were used by people launching attacks. How effective, really, is it to drop 2,000-pound bombs on structures in areas where there might be civilian damage? And isn't part of intelligence-gathering perhaps looking at these places and trying to figure out who is using them, instead of just destroying them point blank?

Q Isn't it much more cost-effective to send out a patrol and raid the places with explosives and blow them up, rather than having airstrikes in the middle of a densely packed city which you control?

Q Steve Covey (sp) from AFP. ...Is it really the case that using that sort of aerial bombardment in the heart of the capital city is going to boost the sense of security? Doesn't it make people in Baghdad think they're still in the midst of a war zone -- what are we now? -- seven months after the entry of U.S. troops?

Q Steve Komarow with USA Today. A lot of these targets have been show-of-force sort of things, empty buildings, that sort of thing. Can you give me a historical precedent where such shows of force have resulted in an insurrection like this being ended?

Q Gregor Meyer (sp) from German Press Agency, DPA. General, up to now, as it seems, your operations are against empty buildings in quiet areas, not very densely populated. But aren't you concerned that the enemy forces could move into more densely populated areas? And then how can you bomb them?

Q Colin Freeman (sp), London Evening Standard. Given the amount of derelict buildings in this city, are you just going to keep on squashing every single derelict building until there's nowhere else for the terrorists to launch their strikes from?