A Brief Guide to the Non-War so far...

GlobalSecurity.org has a useful list of US Army and Marine operations in Iraq. Here goes:

Operations

Operation PLANET X (15 May 2003)
Operation PENINSULA STRIKE (9 June - 12 June 2003)
Operation DESERT SCORPION (15 June 2003 - ?)
Operation SCORPION STING
Operation SPARTAN SCORPION
Operation SIDEWINDER (29 June - 07 July 2003)
Operation SODA MOUNTAIN (12 July - 17 July 2003)
Operation IVY SERPENT (12 July 2003 - ?)
Operation IVY NEEDLE (26 August 2003 - ?)
Operation Longstreet (September 2003 - )
Operation CHAMBERLAIN (15 October 2003 - )
Operation SWEENEY (15 October 2003 - )
Operation Ivy Cyclone (07 November 2003 - )
Operation Ivy Cyclone II (17 November 2003 - )
Operation Iron Hammer (12 November 2003 - )
Operation Bulldog Mammoth (4 December 2003 - )
Operation Red Dawn (13 December 2003)
Operation Iron Justice (18 December 2003 - )
Operation Rifles Fury (21 December 2003 - )
Operation Iron Grip (24 December 2003)
Operation Market Sweep (13 Jan 2004)
Operation Saber Turner II (Feb 2004)
Operation Trailblazer (Feb 2004)
Operation Iron Promise (Mar 2004)
Operation Suicide Kings (17 Mar 2004)
Operation Devil Thrust (?? Mar 2004)
Operation Vigilant Resolve (5 Apr 2004)
Operation Resolute Sword (8 Apr 2004)

Great aren't they? The putative assault on Najaf, should it occur, rejoices in the title of Op. Duke Fortitude, which some bloggers believe is a reference to Garry Trudeau's cartoon strip, Doonesbury. But - could they get any tougher, or any more propagandistic? They are beginning to sound like the way in which weird and incompetent-but-vicious rebel bands in West Africa like to use the terminology of the Western way of war: "Captain Value special forces for LURD!" or "Operation Pay Yourself", both from Liberia, crazed child soldiers calling themselves generals, Operation Rifles Fury, "listening to the silent majority" - pick the odd ones out!