The Iraqi government has instituted a curfew and closed the border crossing in the town of Rabiah, which is directly West of Tal Afar, the city where the Coalition has initiated an assualt. "The decree closed the border to all transportation, including the railroad, except for vehicles with special permission from the Interior Ministry." The border is being sealed tight to prevent al Qaeda reinforcements from streaming in, as well as to close the door on any terrorists that slip the cordon around Tal Afar. This implies that U.S. or Iraqi forces are availble to actually shut the border down and enforce the curfew in the city. Couple the border closing with the berms and cordon established around the city, and checkpoints placed along the roads to Tal Afar, and the military clearly thought this operation through in advance.