Terribus-

But do you think it is even possible that the Blackwater guards in this instance overeacted, and in doing so created more of a problem for themselves and their clients? Or is the loss of life irrelevant or justified in some way by what was done to the other four Blackwater guards by other Iraqi? I don't follow your reasoning, which is usually quite clear even if I do disagree with you most of the time.

I do agree that Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq has been under increased pressure the last few months and must be desparate to demonstrate that it can still hit where it hurts. They appear to have accomplished that objective here, unless it was an entirely different gang that conducted the ambush, assuming there was one.

I prefer chess to counting up dead bodies and deciding which side was morally superior.

Charley Noble