Atmospherics

A WaPo article about US soldiers in Ramadi describes an “atmospherics check,” in which “intelligence soldiers” talk with locals. Of course they need to go in protected by “tanks and armored vehicles, a team of Navy SEAL snipers, a 101st Airborne infantry platoon, a large contingent of Iraqi army soldiers, and a psychological operations team to broadcast safety messages to residents.” Somehow I think safety is not the message they’ll be getting.

Name of the day: a Haitian woman sentenced to probation and a fine for bringing a human skull (other than her own) into the United States: Myrlene Severe.