Iraq News (29 May)

The Good

• ABC News has cited Maliki's "Midas Touch" as Sadr City's markets are opened back up again after a huge Iraqi Army offensive.
• Another surge brigade of U.S. forces (~4000 troops) is being redeployed with no replacement, as U.S. force structure decreases to 15 Brigade Combat Teams.
• FIFA has lifted the ban on the Iraqi Football Association so that Iraq can play in the World Cup qualifying match.
• U.S. forces killed 10 IED-emplacers just outside Sadr City, and Iraqi troops have made huge cache finds in Sadr City.
• Recommended reading from AFP: Now that Al-Qaeda has fled Mosul, the citizens are allowed to drink and smoke again. I don't know how the Iraqis could have gone without smoking. Almost every Iraqi male I know smokes. One gentleman mentioned he could open up his ice factory again. Ice was banned by Al-Qaeda, because it didn't exist in the time of Prophet Mohammed.

The Bad

• A suicide bomber has killed at least 16 in the Sinjar district of Ninawa province (West of Mosul).
• The Iraqi Accordance Front says the Maliki government is hindering its return to the cabinet. Iraqi politics as usual, and it's going very, very slow.

The Ugly

• A militia commander in Sadr City says "duh, we was duped!" in regards to the cease-fire.
• There's a big conference in Sweden on reviewing the International Compact for Iraq. Iraq is asking for debt forgiveness, but Al-Jazeera says there is low expectations abound for this conference. Maybe everyone just wanted to go to Stockholm check out the Swedish babes.

Iraq Soccer Lives