Iraq’s entire al-Anbar province was once written off for lost. Six months ago it was dominated by al Qaeda and full of terrorist monsters. Now it’s awakened to the point that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was able to amble about a marketplace and buy fruits and vegetables and shake hands with locals in Ramadi. The segment below is from CNN’s American Morning, earlier today.

Did Pace have security with him? Yes, he did. But according to the CNN reporter who accompanied Gen. Pace on his tour, the security wasn’t as extensive as that which Sen. John McCain required when he walked through Baghdad a few months ago. CNN’s correspondent, who promised to deliver video of the stroll before too long, described the security as “pretty standard stuff.”