BAGHDAD, Iraq � In the deadliest reported firefight since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, American forces fended off attempted ambushes Sunday, killing at least 46 Iraqis and capturing eight others in the northern city of Samarra (search ). At least five U.S. soldiers, 22 Iraqi attackers and a civilian were injured.

From FOX but it's popping up everywhere now. This sounds like the ambush was known about before it happened. Escape routes were obviously compremised, unless it was purely a suicide operation. The telling line was this one.

U.S. officials have only sporadically released figures on Iraqi casualties, and wouldn't say whether there has been a deadlier firefight that went unreported.

The headlines of US soldiers killed, were never counter balanced by enemy killed. Surely while they could never have totally accurate numbers, our forces must have some idea of how many enemy fighters have been brought to heel, just by the number of burials alone. They should release the numbers more often, it may dispell some of the publics frustration at seeing how many we lose but always to some elusive unseen enemy. They aren't unseen, or bulletproof as today's action illustrates.

In a standup fight, those feydayeen make a good abject lesson on how not to attack an armored convoy. They'll run down some blood trails in daylight and the count will rise.

Seem's Bush hit a nerve when he popped in and shot them the bird. More stupid wasteful use of the faithful please, we'd like to wrap this up.