More than 80 Killed
Pace not Reappointed
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will not seek the reappointment of Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Gates appears to have feared that Pace’s long involvement in the Iraq War and his relatively subservient attitude to former SecDef Donald Rumsfeld would turn his reconfirmation hearing into a circus.
McClatchy reviews all the ways the “surge” is failing in its objectives. And then they are surprised when Sec. of Defense Gates doesn’t invite them along to fly with him!
The killing of another US GI was announced by the US on Saturday.
Political violence in Iraq left more that 80 persons dead on Thursday night through Friday.
A suicide bombing hit a Shiite Turkmen mosque in the north near Kirkuk, leaving a trail of mayhem. (19 killed, 20 wounded)
Another major bomb was set off in al-Qurna down near Basra. (16 killed, 22 wounded).
And in Baquba, guerrillas stormed the home of a police chief, killed 14 guards and family members, and took 3 sons captive.
McClatchy reports other violence, including mortar attacks on the Iraq capital.
The oil workers’ potentially crippling strike in Iraq has been put on hold during a five-day cooling off an negotiating period.
The US focus on al-Qaeda in Iraq is overblown.
Mitt Romney thinks that Iraq refused to admit weapons inspectors before the 2003 War.