Operation Lightning Shell Game?

Interesting.

Reading between the lines of a Reuters report on Operation Lightning, the Iraqi security offensive, it is obvious that few in Iraq or elsewhere think there are really 40,000 troops involved.

"Photographers who have toured several parts of Baghdad said they did not see a significant number of personnel or widespread checkpoints.

"I cannot discuss the numbers of troops. Forty thousand may not be out there at once. There are different units doing different tasks, such as setting up checkpoints," said a defense ministry spokesman.

As soon as Operation Lightning was announced in a blaze of publicity last week, there were doubts about whether 40,000 Iraqis could be mobilized given that there are barely that number of trained Iraqi troops in the region around the capital."

Readers will recall I was highly doubtful it could be done, as was my colleague Fester. I predict it's only a matter of weeks before the "40,000 troops" are revealed to be a shell-game with rather less than that.