Bob Arnot was just reporting live on MSNBC from the middle of a firefight outside Al Kut. A family and several children were somehow caught in the middle, probably used as human shields by the Iraqi army. All were apparently rescued by the Marines. Arnot was with the civilians in a foxhole, comforting a young girl who couldn’t stop crying. He gave a three-year old a fig-bar from some humanitarian rations. In the middle of a battle a little girl ate some American snack food and smiled. Constant gunfire could be heard, sometimes larger guns would overwhelm all other sounds.

One can never adequately count their blessings.

update: MSNBC video of the report.