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Since sometimes the rhetoric gets boring, views like these are sorely needed to keep us from drowning in a sea of not so humble opinions (NSHO's). From the ever brilliant Neil Gaiman's website, his post in full (although slightly reformatted), as he still doesn't have permalinks on his posts.

In the Observer today we learn that...

US intelligence officials said there was now a high volume of back-channel communications with officials inside Iraq. American military officers were trying, often by telephone, to coax their Iraqi counterparts into surrendering.

"Often by telephone" is sort of puzzling in itself. Are they also using homing pigeons? e-mails? long personal letters? And how do you telephonically 'coax' your Iraqi counterpart to surrender?

AlHi. Mahmoud? That you? This is Al
MahmoudAh. Yes. Hi, Al
AlSo, you thought any more about what I said yesterday
MahmoudNot really. I’ve been kind of busy. We’re fighting a war, you know
AlHeheh. Tell me about it. So whaddayasay, Mahmoud – ready to surrender?
MahmoudNot, uh...
AlC'mon, man. You know you want to. Didn’t you get the flowers?
MahmoudFlowers?
AlYeah. I sent flowers. I dictated the card myself – to a Noble Opponent
MahmoudThat was you? They’re very nice
AlAnd the photos? You got the photos of the house okay?
MahmoudThe house? It looks lovely
AlIt’s a time share in Puerto Vallerta. We’ve got it for a whole month in September but you’re a general, who has time to go to Mexico and knock back the Coronas by the pool? I guess you know how it goes
MahmoudSaddam, he’s not big on giving us vacation time either
AlWell, listen, Mahmoud, you surrender, and I can tell you where you’ll be in September
MahmoudI have to go
AlHey. I hope I didn’t say anything wrong
MahmoudNot at all. But I’ve got an air force colonel on the other line. He’s been sending me pizza and boxes of candy. He says if I surrender his family are taking me to Disneyworld

It's probably not like that at all.