Iraq

In another indication of Iraq spiralling out of control, in the last two days, there have been attacks against senior political officials. It's unclear whether it's Sunni or inter-Shia.

Yesterday, Ali al-Adhadh, one of the leading members of SCIRI, was shot dead along with his wife as they were driving through Baghdad. The Science and Technology Minister's house was also attacked.

Today, "Ammar al-Saffar, 50, a member of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa party, was taken away by gunmen wearing uniforms who were accompanied by three men in suits, a neighbor, who declined to be identified, said." (Men in suits?)

Also: Yesterday, there was the report, sourced to the Syrian ambassador, that James Baker had had multiple recent contacts with Syria over Iraq. Today, the Syrian Foreign Minister arrived in Baghdad to hold talks with the Iraqi government.

So, why did the Syrians want yesterday's James Baker story out right before this visit? To help the talks by showing US support? To tell Iraqi Sunnis that the Syrians are doing this for political reasons and not to pay attention? I don't know, but I think the two are tied together somehow.

(At least 112 died today in Iraq from the violence.)