If you only have time for one story about Baghdad...

Too busy watching the tube and hearing your obnoxious kids whine and scream to read a good article on the security situation in Baghdad? Don't worry, LT Nixon's got your back. It's a bit lengthy, but check out this one from Newsweek here: Baghdad comes alive. I thought it explained the delicate tapdance between Coalition Forces, reconciled Sunni insurgents, Iraqi Security Forces, and moderate Mahdi militia members pretty well, and in a balanced methodology. Best of all, it's written by a guy who was out here doing some real fact-checkin', not some know-it-all in Washington with a political agenda. One thing it doesn't address is that infrastructure and service improvements are gonna be key to maintaining security. Electricity still sucks ass for the Iraqis, and there is mass unemployment (probably due to the lack of electricity). The only way infrastructure can improve here, assuming security continues getting better, is for the Government of Iraq to quit jibber jabbering all the time and work to turn their oilbucks into tangible service improvements. Only time will tell.




Pic of Baghdad Operations Center head honcho General Abud and Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon (Baghdad security plan) services guru, Dr. Chalabi at a monster-sized press conference, showing the importance of the next battle in Baghdad.