Baghdad noon hour..
A few cars on the streets.. some pedestrians.. life, while exceedingly subdued.. goes on..
The mood in the Iraqi capital is one of some surprise.. that there has not been the carpet bombing they'd been told to expect.. that indeed the only attack so far.. was a cruise missile deployment against some specific targets on the city's outskirts.. where intelligence had some senior members of the Ba'ath government in residence..
Geoff Hoon.. our Defence Minister.. has just met the members of the media.. and has informed us that there were several preemptive operations set in motion last night.. some of which British Special Forces were involved in.. Geoff seemed eager to stress that this war was indeed against the regeme, not the Iraqi people.. and that these attacks were based in intelligence that suggested some of the government leaders could be taken, before it became necissary to push on with the full might of the allied forces..
'Take up your swords'.. was the live response from Saddam..
The response from the French.. from L'Empereur Chirac if one might be so unkind.. is immediate condemnation of the attack.. and what almost amounts to a demand for their cessation.. One doubts France's voice is heard quite so distinctly either in Number 10 or the White House these days..
One note..
One was somewhat struck with the look in the eyes of George when he addressed the American public last night.. this morning.. whenever..
Either he's exeedingly tired, or he's got what could be the start of a maniacal gleam in his own eyes.
May this not turn into a 4th Crusade..
Watch for the main assault.. sometime after sundown..