The Good: Depending on where you get your news, the conference with Maliki and countries in the region could either be a smashing success or a total bust. This Saudi newspaper seems stoked that Maliki is finally taking on the Shi'ite militias that have their mitts all over the place in Iraq, but if you get your news from the WaPo, you're going to get the impression that it was a big waste of time. Only time will tell, but even Iran is pleased with the crackdown on Shi'ite militias. It's looking like Sadr is becoming more and more isolated diplomatically. More detainees have been released from Camp Bucca (the biggest US-run detention center), which is viewed as an important part of the reconciliation process as most of the detainees are Sunni. The casualties keep mounting for the enemy in Sadr City as well. Don't believe the hype that the US is targeting civilians, as people running around launching mortars and rockets don't fall under the traditional definition of "civilian".
The Bad: Speaking of Sadr City, this AP article talks about the despair felt by the residents. It's important to get services, food, jobs, and reconstruction to this sector with great haste or else these people will still be sympathetic to the militia. Two marines were killed yesterday by a suicide bomber near Ramadi. Also, another female suicide bomber in Diyala province has killed 6 policemen. The increasing use of female suicide bombers is increasingly troubling, as much of the Iraqi culture (so I'm told, I could be wrong) is adverse to searching women at checkpoints. Unfortunately, terrorists aren't so modest.
The Ugly: More from Zawahiri on how he hates Hamas and Iran. He also calls on jihadists to unite behind the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), which is led by the Egyptian, Al-Masri, and is public enemy #1 in Iraq. This is one case where the axiom of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" does not hold true.
Maliki hangin' with sheikhs in Kuwait that could buy and sell my sorry ass
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