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Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

The future of Iraq coming into focus

The event I had been worrying about happened: Five U.S. troops were killed in southern Iraq. Apparently they were on a base hit by rockets. I just don’t get the optimism of some. Here is one group of headlines from one Iraqi news service yesterday: Planning Ministry official injured in Baghdad blast A leading Iraqi ...

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AZHAR SHALLAL/AFP/Getty Images
AZHAR SHALLAL/AFP/Getty Images
AZHAR SHALLAL/AFP/Getty Images

The event I had been worrying about happened: Five U.S. troops were killed in southern Iraq. Apparently they were on a base hit by rockets.

The event I had been worrying about happened: Five U.S. troops were killed in southern Iraq. Apparently they were on a base hit by rockets.

I just don’t get the optimism of some. Here is one group of headlines from one Iraqi news service yesterday:

Planning Ministry official injured in Baghdad blast
A leading Iraqi Planning Ministry official has been seriously injured in an explosive charge blast that hit his personal car in western Baghdad on Sunday, according to a security source. 6/5/2011 |
8 civilians injured in west Baghdad blast

Nujaifi’s personal companion assassinated

Guard commits suicide

Iraq’s Civil Defense Colonel killed in west Baghdad

More here on southern Iraq.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1
Tags: Iraq, Science and Technology

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