Well, they liked the idea so much...

Another secret visit - by Rumsfiend, this time.

ABC News:
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld made an unannounced visit to this northern Iraqi city Saturday to gauge the pace of progress toward stabilizing the country and defeating the insurgency.

The trip was kept secret in advance to minimize the risk of attack on his entourage, which flew here on an Air Force C-17 cargo plane from Tblisi in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Was that Air Force C-17 I just saw?

With reporters looking on, Odierno said attacks have declined significantly in the last three weeks, averaging six per day compared with 21 daily before that.

At the same time, he said, acceptance of American troops by the Iraqi populace is increasing. "It improves, every month it gets better," the general said.

In an interview, Odierno said that improved intelligence had enabled his soldiers to find and capture more of the people involved in the attacks against American forces in recent weeks.

"We've picked up some very key people," including Iraqis believed to be responsible for making homemade bombs and financing insurgency operations, Odierno said.

Well, there's your good news for the day. Don't ask for details. Just feel better. Go buy something.

ABC News:
Since Mr Rumsfeld's last visit to Iraq in September, an Iraqi insurgency has escalated against US forces and allies, as well as against Iraqis cooperating with the American-led occupation.  article

Pay no attention.

Iraqi guerrillas will step up attacks in the next few months in an attempt to thwart a transfer of sovereignty from the occupation authority to a new Iraqi government, the top U.S. administrator in Iraq said Friday.   article

I said, pay no attention.

Rumsfeld later flew to Baghdad, where he was met at Baghdad International Airport by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of all coalition forces in Iraq.

Sanchez said in an interview with reporters traveling with Rumsfeld that U.S. intelligence has "not established conclusively" that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is personally directing he insurgency.

But Sanchez said it is believed that Saddam remains alive somewhere in Iraq.  article

If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.