Editor's corner.

• Position: Editorial

One small piece of the enormous logistics apparatus that has supported U.S. Central Command during the war in Iraq is a relatively unknown air base in Constanta, Romania, on the coast of the Black Sea. U.S. Air Force and Army personnel were diverted there after Turkey refused to open up its bases for American troops to launch operations into Northern Iraq.

A former launch pad for Soviet MIG fighters has become a staging base for U.S. cargo aircraft, such as C-17s and C-130s, which are flying daily, transporting troops and equipment destined for the Middle East. Air Force officials still are working to improve the facilities and repair the aging infrastructure, but they are nonetheless pleased to have access to a base located close to a seaport such as Constanta, where hundreds of containers are being unloaded from ships.

Speculation is rampant in Europe that the United States may station troops permanently in Romania, in an effort to downsize the American presence in Germany. That still remains to be seen.

You can read Roxana Tiron's special report about U.S. military activities in Romania, on page 16.

More than a month into the war in Iraq, military planners and technologists already have drawn several lessons about what needs to be done better in the future. The precision of smart weapons has improved, to be sure. But the types of conflict as seen in Iraq-in urban settings, with lots of civilians mixed with enemy troops and friendly forces fighting in close proximity-make it...