During today's White House
press gaggle, of course the focus was on the escalating violence between Lebanon and Israel. But lost in the shuffle of that unfolding crisis was a truly remarkable event...perhaps for the first time, Tony Snow told the truth about Iraq.
That's about it. Not much new out of Iraq -- I asked specifically, and not much new out of there today to report.
And for once he was absolutely right. There was not much new out of Iraq...the Defense Department announced another death:
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry A. Tharp, 44, of Muscatine, Iowa, died July 12 as a result of enemy action when his dismounted patrol was struck by an improvised explosive device...
Nope, nothing new there...
A quick check on the
latest progress in Operation Stay The Course:
Six mortar rounds hit a Shi'ite mosque, killing two people and wounding four in the town of Balad Ruz...
A bomb planted in the street killed at least seven people and wounded five as they left a Sunni mosque in northern Baghdad...
Sectarian violence...check...nothing new there.
And how are they doing with those death squads?
Police found 12 bodies dumped in a deserted cemetery in Tal Afar...
Nothing new there. Violence against Iraqi security forces?
Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint 40 km (25 miles) south of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, killing 12 soldiers and wounding one...
Same old, same old...
And finally, how is that winning the hearts and minds going?
Sadr, known for his strong anti-US stand, said: "Our hearts are broken by the bombings unleashed by the terrorist Zionist enemy with the backing from the enemy of all people, America."
Yes, the leader of the Mehdi Army is stirring up even more hatred against out troops.
Tony Snow told the truth...there was not much new out of Iraq today.