Maliki tries to stay on the log

Yesterday, (AP) "Addressing a news conference, he singled out Sadr City and Shula — two Mahdi Army militia strongholds in Baghdad — as likely targets in the future crackdowns, saying they were under the sway of "criminal gangs."

Today, (AP) "Iraq's prime minister on Friday ordered a nationwide freeze on raids against suspected Shiite militants after the leader of the biggest militia complained that arrests were continuing even after he ordered fighters off the streets."

According to the NYTimes, more than a thousand Iraqi soldiers and police quit in the Basra operation including dozens of officers and "at least two senior field commanders in the battle."

But my best recommendation to catch all of Maliki's back and forth is this CNN piece where he denies the peace meeting.

Same article, "Al-Maliki also has promised a major offensive targeting al Qaeda in Iraq, a predominantly Sunni group, in the northern city of Mosul."

(Today is Friday prayers.)