Flying under the radar today is an ominous bit of news out of Iraq.
Cutting to the chase...
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi government on Sunday postponed indefinitely a much-anticipated national reconciliation conference aimed at shoring up the country's political system, citing "emergency reasons."
The statement issued by the Cabinet reflected the deteriorating security situation in the country, in which hundreds are dying each week in sectarian- and insurgent-inspired violence.
Failure to bring the deeply divided Iraqi politicians together as planned also appeared likely to exacerbate the crumbling effort of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to build a broader political consensus.
The "emergency reasons" weren't detailed. But you're bright. You can probably guess.
For Americans, October is on pace to be the deadliest month in Iraq since January of 2005. It's likely that US fatalities in Iraq will exceed the 100 mark for the first time in 22 months.
For Iraqis, we can't even measure the devastation. But we can measure the anxiety.
More from the AP, via the San Luis Obispo Tribune:
The postponement could deeply damage the al-Maliki administration, which has been in power just over four months. In that time, more than 10,000 Iraqis have been killed in insurgent and sectarian killings.
Al-Maliki did not comment on the postponement, but issued a message to the Iraqi people Sunday praising them for approving the constitution 12 months ago, while acknowledging the document's adoption had intensified the insurgency.
Intensified indeed. To the point now where the Sunni insurgents have decided to go it alone, as reported here on Kos in an underappreciated diary by quaoar.
The NIE was right.
The American people are right.
The top brass in the British Army is right.
It's time to leave.