Iraq

(WaPo) "A majority of members of Iraq's parliament have signed a draft bill that would require a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from Iraq and freeze current troop levels."

(If this does work its way to a vote, it will certainly pass. In Iraq today, imagine the pressure of voting for a continuing occupation.)

(NYTimes) "The threat of a walkout by Iraq’s leading Sunni bloc in Parliament and the cabinet seemed to subside Tuesday after a meeting between Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite, and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni." (So, Cheney's visit may have had a result.)

(LATimes) The Iraqi parliament broke down yesterday with the speaker eventually slapping a fellow lawmaker. "Bodyguards separated the two men."

(Stars and Stripes) Defeating the stated purpose of the 15 month deployment extensions, the Army is already sending a unit back to Iraq after only 9 months dwell time.

(Reuters) Unsurprisingly, Maliki's nominations to replace Sadr's 6 withdrawn ministers are facing problems getting confirmed after they are revealed to be Shia loyalists.

AND, (Haaretz) Administration official Elliott Abrams tells a group of "Jewish Republicans" that the current US effort on Israel/Palestine is about placating the Arab nations, not seeking peace.