Quote of the Day: "Now, it appears that the crisis has passed."

Those were the brilliant words of General George Casey, the United States' top military commander in Iraq. He uttered them today, barely twenty-four hours after attacks in Iraq claimed 58 lives, which followed several days of additional attacks and killings that followed the bombing of the Shiite shrine in Samarra.

It's just kind of amusing that such a short respite - if, indeed, there has been a respite - from the violence would spur someone to claim that "the crisis has passed."

Something tells me that crisis situations in Iraq are kind of like the weather in Texas: wait a minute and things will change.

Casey continued with his assessment of the situation.

"But we all should be clear: Iraqis remain under threat of terrorist attack by those who will stop at nothing to undermine the formation of the constitutionally elected government."

He added, "I think it's safe to say that a major attack, particularly on a religious site, would have a significant impact on the situation here coming in the next couple of days."

Hmmm. That doesn't sound so much like the crisis has passed. It sounds more like everyday life in Iraq. I suppose optimism in Iraq doesn't require a "glass is half full" perspective. Just a tiny drop in that glass may offer optimism enough. And sometimes, one even has to pay for that much optimism.

Sad.