Afghanistan and Iraq

(AP) Following on yesterday's post, "Pentagon officials are quietly considering a significant change in the war command in Afghanistan to extend US control of forces into the country's volatile south."

(AP) "Al-Qaeda has rebuilt some of its pre-Sept. 11 capabilities from remote hiding places in Pakistan, and terrorist attacks in neighboring Afghanistan increased 16 percent last year, the Bush administration said Wednesday."

(NYTimes) "The Iraqi prime minister is sending several senior Shiite leaders to Tehran to discuss their concerns that Iran is arming and financing militias in Iraq." (Also to meet with Sadr.)

(Reuters/WaPo) Lots of US military talk against Iran right now, and (VOA) A Pentagon official makes a point to say that Iran is also arming the Taleban.

(AFP) "Fierce fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City fuelled the bloodshed in April, with at least 1,073 people killed across Iraq and the US military's toll hitting a seven-month high...... 966 civilians were killed in April, as were 69 police officers and 38 soldiers."

And, it's the fifth anniversary of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech and carrier landing. (The fifth anniversary is the wood anniversary.)