Southward bound

ARBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — Sorry for the lack of updates yesterday. I was in interviews all day, and by the end of the day I could barely think straight, much less write. Plus, I needed a day off. However, I did get a good interview with the Iraqi Turkomen Front and will write up that account in the car.
Where are we going? Well, this morning, CNN International broadcast extraordinary footage from the outskirts of Tikrit, with no resistance, challenges or other military presence to the media presence. Along the side of the road, groups of fighting-age men walked, some with weapons, most without. None challenged the CNN crew.
Today, J. and I are heading to Kirkuk to get a read on the situation and possibly probe toward Tikrit. The northern route — which we’ll be taking — is pretty heavily militarized but has been extensively hit by U.S. air strikes. It’s also the region where Kevin Sites was captured briefly by Fedayeen Saddam. We’ll have to look sharp to stay out of trouble if we do press on toward Saddam’s stomping grounds. But I’ll be honest: It may be too dicey and I may nix the plan if I’m not cool with it.