Tuna and Canned Milk Under Iraqi Beds

A selection of Iraq news this morning.

Iraq's parliament met today for the first time, and they couldn't even get through the collective oath of office without interruption and dispute.

Even the oath was a source of disagreement, with the head of the committee that drafted the country's new constitution, Humam Hammoudi, protesting that lawmakers, who pledged to "preserve the independence and the sovereignty of Iraq," had strayed from the text at one point. After brief consultations, judicial officials agreed the wording was acceptable and the session adjourned until further notice.

Also, other countries in the region are now planning their interventions into a possible Iraqi Civil War.

As Sunni-Shi'ite violence intensifies, governments in Turkey, Iran and nearby Arab countries are drawing up plans to prevent any sectarian or ethnic conflict spilling across borders and upsetting their internal political balance, analysts say.....

To counter emerging Shi'ite power in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have turned a blind eye to the large flow of cash heading to Sunni insurgents there, some Western diplomats believe. They say charities run by Islamist extremists, and religious groups, are funding the fighting in Iraq. They also cite reports that governments are considering arming Sunni tribes there.

Iraqi families that can are stocking up for the worst.

Baghdad -- Om Hussein, wrapped in her black abaya, lists the contents of the family's walk-in storage closet: three 175-pound cases of rice, two 33-pound cases of cooking fat, six cases of canned tomatoes, three crates of assorted legumes, a one-month supply of drinking water, frozen chicken livers in the freezer. And in the garage, jerry cans filled with fuel are piled floor to ceiling.

Om Hussein, who was reluctant to give her full name, and her Shiite family are preparing for war. They've stocked up on food. They bought a Kalashnikov rifle and a second car -- so that there is space for all 13 members of their extended family should they need to flee in a hurry.

And Juan Cole is reporting that the Americans are the primary force against Jaafari remaining Prime Minister. The main force for him? The Iranians who are allegedly pushing the Kurds to accept him. So we'll know alot more about who is truly running Iraq in the coming days.

(Newsguy points out that Iraq is currently costing $100,000 every 40 seconds. Think about that for a minute. Oops, can't wait that long, that's $150,000.)