If you haven't had a chance, I strongly recommend reading William Langewiesche's fantastic piece (subscription required) in the November issue of
The Atlantic about the "Green Zone" in central Baghdad where the CPA and American leadership resides and runs the Iraq operations.
As countless reports have noted, reporters and civilian leaders are careful about when they venture beyond the Green Zone, for fear of being killed or kidnapped. The Zone has always been the safe haven, a cocoon resembling a "little America," as Langewiesche calls it, within an otherwise chaotic, unsafe Iraq.
...that is, it was a safe haven until a few hours ago.
I look forward to the obligatory press conference from the president or secretary of defense about how these desperate attacks upon the Green Zone -- not to mention the six GI's killed in various bombing attacks during the past 48 hours -- provide yet further proof of our continuing progress.