On the question of road security and supply lines this Tom Ricks article in the Washington Post three days ago is worth noting. And this on the increased sophstication of such attacks. There are great dangers here, obviously. The roads have to be secure. This is worth watching. And Niall Ferguson gives us a brief history lesson. He writes that Iraq is not Vietnam II, "it’s a rerun of the British experience of compromised colonization." He refers to the events of 1920, and draws three lessons: One, the current crisis is almost inevitable; two, putting the "rebellion" down requires severity; three, "only by quelling disorder firmly and immediately will America be able to achieve its objective of an orderly handover of sovereignty.." He says we have to "get real."