Stardate 20030409.1703

(On Screen): They say that when you want to learn what a politician is thinking, watch his hands and not his mouth. What he does is more important than what he says.

When you want to know whether a military situation is viewed by the military command as being perilous or under control, watch what they do. For instance, it was highly significant that on Monday General Franks made a tour of frontline troops in Iraq.

What this meant was that he was sufficiently confident in the war situation that he was willing to be away from his HQ for an extended period of time, with only limited ability for his staff and subordinate commanders to consult with him in case something major came up. His willingness to undertake such a tour means he didn't expect anything significant and unexpected to happen which his staff couldn't deal with. And he was right.

Another highly significant news item is the announcement that USS Abraham Lincoln has been ordered home. Lincoln has the only operational squadron of the new F-18/E "Super Hornet" and the Navy didn't want to miss this chance to try them out in combat.

It's standard for our carriers to do a six month deployment overseas, and then to return to their home port for a couple of months. During this time there are repairs and upgrades, and it's also an essential period of rest for the crew, not to mention an essential interval for them to spend time with their families. Lincoln was deployed to the Gulf area last year, and the end of its six months came just as things were beginning to heat up militarily. So her battle group was ordered to remain, and now they've been on station for about nine months. They've served well, but they have to be very tired, and lonely for their families.

So they've been ordered home, for a long delayed and well deserved rest. But this means that CENTCOM is willing to reduce its air power by a small but significant margin. They wouldn't do that if they were still worried about the outcome of the war.