Ruh-Ro

There's evidence that the Iraqi government's "military" is getting it's butt kicked, and that open warfare is returning to Baghdad. The Green Zone folks have been told to stay under "hard cover". For me that would mean being anywhere but in Baghdad:

Iraq’s Prime Minister was staring into the abyss today after his operation to crush militia strongholds in Basra stalled, members of his own security forces defected and district after district of his own capital fell to Shia militia gunmen.

Added: Many are wondering why the U.S. is strongly supporting Maliki, the ISCI and Badr Corps who are much more closely allied with Iran than Sadr?

Why, some wonder, is the U.S. closer to the Iran-backed ISCI and Badr Brigades than it is with the Sadrites? Why does this make sense? Two Baghdad political veterans have ruefully pointed out to Abu Muqawama that while Sadr has more popular support, the ISCI crowd have something more valuable: they speak English. One former State Department veteran with whom Abu Muqawama spoke a few months ago pointed out that former Iraq honcho Meghan O'Sullivan was particularly vulnerable to falling under the sway of those politicians who didn't just speak in that confusing gutteral language where they write from right to left in co-joined letters. Ergo: they speak English, so they must be our friends! Hoo-ray, democracy!

Sounds about right for the Bush administration.