Okay, I do not fully trust the US media to report anything given their conservative, pro-business slant, but at the same time, I don't dismiss them completely either. Based on what I've seen on the BBC's site, and on other Euro sites, the truth does appear to be somewhere in between what we're getting even on CNN and in the NY Times (not so liberal after all) and the extreme anti-Americanism of the Russians.

But just to see for yourself the kinds of propaganda that one Russian site is putting out there, go to Russian Site: War in Iraq. I mean, they are reporting downed planes, higher casualties, the rape of an Iraqi woman, pilfered Iraqi goods, you name it. Obviously they are trying to foment hatred against the U.S., but they're also reporting that the U.S. is NOT in Baghdad, and I've seen more cautious reports on this on the BBC. So what is the truth???

If it hasn't been knocked off by mail bombing, there's always Al Jazeera.

From the Al Jazeera site this article brings up an interesting issue about US operatives participating in the war effort out of uniform - something apparently prohibited by the Geneva Convention.

Average US citizens probably do not have nearly enough knowledge of all of the tactics used by so-called "Special Forces". I don't claim to either. I can only draw on the knowledge I have of how many of us make decisions in our daily lives and the leaders we elect. On that basis there is not much that I would put out-of-bounds in terms of the actions of these "Special Forces".

Speaking of the Russians, their convoy was attacked today, by either the Iraqis or the Americans. It's still unknown whether their ambassador to Iraq was wounded...supposedly Condoleeza Rice is heading over there to try to calm things down, because Russia is loco on the war and this has only raised the level of diplomatic tension.

This brings to mind the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia. We're still feeling the diplomatic tremors from that in sino-american relations.

It certainly didn't help when that US spy plane was forced down off China's coast.

China has been more cautious in it's relations with us after these incidents. Perhaps it has slowed their cooperation on issues like controling AIDS and investigating the nature of SARS.

Are those tactics really any different from Iraqi soldiers dressed in civilian clothing open firing on our soldiers?

The old saying "all's fair in love and war" really holds true these days. But are the plain clothed people really Special Ops or CIA??