It's still obvious to me that people who deal with warfare on a purely perceptual level (attacks, casualties = war being lost) aren't the ones you want in charge.

Fallujah was exposed as a major repository of weapons, insurgents, and terrorist weapon manufacturing sites. That this was a victory for the coalition was beyond argument.

I don't know if weapons and car bombs being used now are being rerouted from a new pipeline, or if the insurgency is now exhausting the Fallujah pipeline. This remains to be seen. Attacks on our military have dropped to about a third of what they were before Fallujah, but it's still to early to tell.

I am aware that the final proof of Fallujah's success will be many weeks down the road. Can they keep the insurgents from returning? Even so, there are tons of weapons and large facilities that are no longer available to the insurgents.

It is also obvious that the insurgency will go all out to stop the elections.

I am far from "happy puppy," but most of the people I'm dealing with here are blind as bats to the bigger picture.