Iraq, Afghanistan, and other things

Another assault on the language. (WaPo) Gen. Petraeus is now going to recommend "an operational pause" in "the surge" in his April testimony. (At some point, someone needs to all it the "escalation" that it was.)

(Rumor) "An Iraqi MP preferred to remain anonymous told the newspaper that highly confidential negotiations took place by representatives from American oil companies, offering $5 million to each MP who votes in favor of the Oil and Gas law." (They do have democracy!)

In Afghanistan: (Reuters) "Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, reinforcing an ultimatum over Afghanistan, told U.S. President George W. Bush Wednesday that Ottawa would withdraw its military mission next year unless NATO sent in more troops, officials said." (Rumors about this were first reported a couple weeks ago, but this is much clearer.)

(NYTimes) Pakistani ex-Chief Justice Chaudry smuggles a letter out of Pakistan.

And, after the 9/11 commission, all the reports on the Iraq war, I found this an interesting foreign parallel. (WaPo) The report on the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon is out. It finds faults, but manages to attach no significant blame.