Iraq

Don't miss this LATimes article on a cockup of an operation in the farmlands of Diyala. The Sunni insurgents were tipped off and prepared, the Iraq troops were in chaos, and not a single fighting aged male was there by the time they arrived. I don't blame the US military, it's simply a stark statement on the realities of Iraq.

The NYTimes has an emotive description of the Mansour bombing yesterday.

There's a very interesting political battle taking shape as al-Hakim and SCIRI try to become the Shia leadership with Iran's backing. Sadr is portraying himself as more nativist.

(AP) The French say "we told you so."

Later: (CBS) The troop "surge" is down to 9,000 because that's all that will be available. 7,500 to Baghdad, 1,500 to Anbar.