Iraq

The Wall Street Journal has a good article looking at "the surge," its prospects, and what could possibly come next. Short version: It wasn't going well with Sadr on the sidelines, and now that Sadr's back and militia attacks are rising, it looks even worse.

(USAToday) The new MRAP vehicles that are now being hurried through production are effective against simple IED's but aren't strong enough to withstand the newer and proliferating EFP's.

(AFP) "The Pentagon admitted Wednesday that May has been "tough" for US forces in Iraq, with no fewer than 113 soldiers killed over the course of the month."

(AP) "Almost daily, rockets and mortar shells hit the Green Zone -- the fortified district protecting the US embassy and Maliki's administration."

(AP) The Sunni police chief who was praised for his successful efforts with the US in Hit has been removed and arrested "following an investigation into alleged murder, corruption and crimes against the Iraqi people."

Iraqslogger has a video of Iraqi forces and apparent militia members fighting together outside the Sunni Fadhil neighborhood.

There's alot of coverage from the lefty blogs about this McClatchy piece on Joe Lieberman's visit to Iraq and his meeting with soldiers, but I wanted to point to this reality.

"We're not making any progress," Hedin said, as he recalled a comrade who was shot by a sniper last week. "It just seems like we drive around and wait to get shot at."

But as he waited two chairs down from where Lieberman would sit, Hedin said he'd never voice his true feelings to the senator.

"I think I'd be a private if I did," he joked. "It's just more troops, more targets."

Is it any wonder that the pro-war politicians come back spouting nonsense?

(And, the President seems to have gotten his bar lowering wish. The daily bombings that kill 25 no longer get top coverage (one in Fallujah today.) 23 bodies found scattered around Baghdad, not mentioned, and anything less than 6 US soldiers killed no longer makes a story. (3 soldiers killed yesterday.))