Paul from Hull, a number of questions for you:

- How many provinces make up the present day country of Iraq?

- Scanning the internet and the media, insurgent attacks on MNF/Iraqi forces occur in how many of those provinces on anything that you could refer to as a regular basis?

- When was the last time Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq carried out an attack in Iraq? They used to be quite vocal about the atrocities they committed. Since the death of their leader they have been strangely silent.

- The stated purpose of the insurgency is to drive the MNF out of Iraq. Why then have the insurgents switched their attacks to the civilian population?

- If the insurgency was gaining strength, according to Giap's theories attacks against the MNF would by now be intensifying in scale and effectiveness. Why then are the attacks against the MNF diminishing in scale and becoming less and less effective?

- What happened to the forecasted upsurge in insurgent violence in the wake of Saddam's execution?

- Afghanistan scan the internet and the media sources. Tell us how many attacks the Taleban, or Al-Qaeda, have carried out in the last week.

- Afghanistan scan the internet and the media sources. Tell us how many operations against the Taleban have been mounted with successful results (Most recent I can recall was Operation Clay)

- Afghanistan, where is the fighting reported? How many provinces make up Afghanistan? How many are peaceful?

- Afghanistan, in 2006 some 4000 people were killed. 1000 of them were civilians, most of whom were killed by the Taleban, the remaining 3000 were either NATO, ISAF, Afghan Army/Police and Taleban. NATO, ISAF, Afghan Army/Police have taken relatively few casualties (UK 44 of whom 21 died in non-combat related accidents), so the bulk of the dead are made up of Taleban. Does that sound as though the Taleban are winning?