Operation Swarmer, or Potemkin village? (updates: 1)

As noted, about 1,500 troops were involved, 700 American and 800 Iraqi. But get this: in the area they’re scouring there are only about 1,500 residents. According to my colleague and other reporters who were there, not a single shot has been fired.

If true, and this operation is simply being staged, then wow. They're actually willing to make up entire battles in their quest to lie to the American public. Just when you thought they couldn't out-do themselves...

By the way: doesn't that violate US anti-government-propoganda laws, in the highest possible manner?

UPDATE 1:

Confirmation that it was all a hoax from the BBC:

In this instance, key terrain may have been seized but no enemy forces were apparently engaged.

But the massive press coverage was not just the result of a semantic misunderstanding.

Unusually, high-quality photographs and video footage of the initial deployment were made available to the press towards the end of Day One of what was billed as a campaign that would last several days. Some international media were given unusually swift military "embeds" to the area.

Pure propoganda.

Bush voters sicken me.