The war over Iraq

Violence in recent days has lead to the following comment from a prominent U.S. commander, the Los Angeles Times:

Meanwhile, Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV conceded Monday that the deployment of 50,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops to secure the streets of Baghdad had fallen behind in its goal to restore order and that "we still have tremendous inroads to make in that area."

The New York Times has one amazing profile on an Iraqi trying to keep Ramadi from the insurgents:

"You see, over there, that is where the suicide bomber tried to kill me,” Governor Rashid said with a smile as he drove his armored S.U.V. to work. Across the road, where he was pointing, lay the charred shells of half a dozen automobiles.

“Over here,” he said after a time, pointing again, “this is where they tried to shoot me.”

Car bomb, suicide bomber, mortar, gun; in his car, in his house, in a mosque: insurgents have tried to kill Mr. Rashid so many times and in so many different ways that he has nearly lost count. But life being what it is in Ramadi, Anbar’s tumultuous capital, Mr. Rashid probably will need a few more lives to survive until his term expires this year.

“They want to kill me,” he said, spinning the wheel, “because I will not let them have power.”