Iraq News (3 Mar)

The Good: Outgoing #2 officer in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Odierno, talks with Michael Gordon of the New York Times about the future of Iraq. He recommends more job creation, which isn't sounding like a bad idea, since unemployment fuels the insurgency. More dead terrorists up by Tal Afar. Ninawa province in northern Iraq is currently hosting the brunt of Al-Qaeda activity, and small victories like these will aid in preventing future violence in Iraq.

The Bad: 5 civilians killed in Diyala province by an IED. The Pope himself has called for the release of Chaldean archbishop Rahho as he was abducted after thugs murdered his bodyguards earlier this week in Mosul. Oh yeah, electricity for Baghdad's citizens still sucks. The services we take for granted back in the states (trash collection, electricity, clean water) are still in major disrepair in Iraq thanks to Saddam, UN Sanctions, and sabotage by the insurgency. This does not bode well for economic development, which will encourage more poverty-stricken Iraqis to join gangs, racketeering operations, terrorist proxies, etc.

The Ugly: Iraqi-Iranian relations are important to boosting economic/political development in the region. But crazy Ahmadinejad has used his visit to Baghdad to, predictably, take pot shots at the "Great Satan", despite the fact that the coalition took out two of Iran's greatest enemies (Taliban and Saddam). And some of the lefty blogs have bought into this propaganda hook, line, and stinker. Many of Iraq's Sunnis were not happy with the Iranian President's visit and openly protested in the streets of Fallujah and Kirkuk.

Ahmadinejad smug in his accusations