We have to toughen our resolve now. They think we will turn tail as we did in Beirut and Mogadishu. We are going to have problems if we don't start worrying about how many soldiers are killed and not how many civilians.

A suicide bomber driving a taxi killed five American soldiers Saturday at a checkpoint in south-central Iraq, a U.S. officer said. The attack came as coalition forces battled to quell paramilitary harassment in order to prepare for an all-out push toward Baghdad.

It was the first suicide bombing against U.S. or British forces since they invaded Iraq. Iraqi dissidents have claimed that Saddam Hussein opened a training camp for Arab volunteers willing to carry out suicide attacks against coalition troops.

Let's get our troops in place and take Baghdad now.