Maybe this means something. Maybe it doesn't. But it's interesting to note that Operation Swarmer, the biggest air assault raid in Iraq since '03 -- and certainly the one with the most Iraqi participation -- doesn't have any only has a single embedded reporters along for the ride. (Big ops in the past, like October's Iron Fist, usually have several.)
The Pentagon said there were no reporters embedded with U.S. troops, and it released video and a series of photos of preparations for the assault. The images showed Soldiers receiving a preflight briefing from a UH-60 Blackhawk crew chief, Soldiers and aircraft positioned on an airstrip, and helicopters taking off over a dusty landscape.
UPDATE 2:08 PM: I'm told CNN's Nic Robertson did wind up with an embed, the only one.
UPDATE: 2:10 PM: "According to a colleague of mine from TIME who traveled up [to Smarra] today on a U.S. embassy-sponsored trip, there are no insurgents, no fighting and 17 of the 41 prisoners taken have already been released after just one day," says Chris Allbritton. "The 'number of weapons caches' equals six, which isnt unusual when you travel around Iraq. Theyre literally everywhere. "
(Big ups: Duncan)
