Jumping the Guns?

I'm a little shocked by the certitude some U.S. officials are expressing that the deaths of Saddam's sons will knock the wind out of the Iraqi resistance. Do we know that Odai and Qusai were somehow directing the attacks, or have they just been running for their lives?

The successful U.S. raid certainly demonstrates that no one is beyond the reach of Washington, and no doubt is a psychological blow to Iraqi fighters and a big boost for U.S. troops. But that does not automatically mean that the guerillas' command and control system -- if there is such a thing -- has sustained a mortal wound. In fact, in the near term a sharp increase in attacks might be the response to the raid, in order to demonstrate that the resistance is still alive.

Long term, here's hoping all the positive spin is correct, but it does seem to be more hope than experience.