Precisely because of the road's importance, insurgents have shown increasing boldness and ferocity in targeting vehicles used by U.S. military personnel and civilian contractors.
A large armored bus, nicknamed the Rhino, had been carrying passengers to and from the airport. But it stopped operating last week after being struck by a car bomb. No one on the bus was injured, but its engine was damaged.
An embassy spokesman said Thursday that U.S. personnel who need to travel between the airport and the embassy, which is in the heavily fortified area known as the Green Zone, would be transported by helicopter.
A large armored bus, nicknamed the Rhino, had been carrying passengers to and from the airport. But it stopped operating last week after being struck by a car bomb. No one on the bus was injured, but its engine was damaged.
An embassy spokesman said Thursday that U.S. personnel who need to travel between the airport and the embassy, which is in the heavily fortified area known as the Green Zone, would be transported by helicopter.
Oh, that's a lot safer. How many helicopters have been brought down since the invasion began?
U.S. military commanders here acknowledged frustration at having been unable to secure the highway, but they said it was not for lack of effort.
But Washington is going to tell you that things are going swimmingly, and we have Iraq "secured". Like I said, we don't. Not even near. And it's getting worse, as the renewed 24-hour curfew in Falluja and now the ban on highway travel to the airport show.
"Militarily, we could solve it tomorrow by shutting down the road to nonofficial travel," said another general familiar with the deliberations. "But that would be a terrible message. Economically, such a move would hurt efforts to revitalize the airport. Politically, it would hurt the Iraqi government's effort to show that it is gradually exerting control over the insurgency."
I don't know whether to laugh or cry....but hey, you do what you want...you will anyway.
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