The Good: US Forces continue the fight in Sadr City as 8 militia thugs have been killed on Friday. One of the engagements involved a M1A1 tank. Hypothetically, if I was in the militia, I probably wouldn't attack a big ass tank with an AK-47... the odds would not be in my favor. Interesting letter to the editor in the NY Times about how we should engage Iran diplomatically instead of rattle up the sabers. Well, Mr. Letter Writer, the Iraqi government is doing just that as they have presented evidence of Iranian involvement to theocracy in charge of Iran.
The Bad: While the number of terrorist attacks declined worldwide slightly in 2007, the number of victims increased by 9% to more than 22,000. This would imply the murderous thugs are getting more efficient, which isn't a good thing. A US soldier has been killed by an IED in Baghdad. Violence against journalists is on the rise in Iraq. One of the reasons that some Iraqis are reluctant to report on the ills of the militia is that they are under intimidation, thereby creating an environment that lacks true free speech.
The Ugly: Mixed messaging coming from Shi'ite mosques on Friday on the Iraq-wide militia crack down. The Sadrists are sticking with the "we're under siege" line and have even accused Maliki of war crimes, while Sheikh al-Jagheer has praised the military operation to clear Sadr City of thugs (he is also an ISCI guy). Spencer Ackerman has some insight into Sadr that portrays him as a master of counter-insurgency, which I don't agree with, but the article is profound.
US Soldiers secure the site of a car bomb in Baghdad on 1 May (photo from AP) 
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The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post - From the Front: 05/03/2008 - News and Personal dispatches from the front lines.
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