Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

That Iraq crime novel, chapter two

The second chapter of that novel could begin thusly: BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Security sources said today that an intelligence official was killed following an armed attack against him west of the capital, Baghdad. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the assassins crossed his road and shot him dead. No other details were given. Maybe ...

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

The second chapter of that novel could begin thusly:

The second chapter of that novel could begin thusly:

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Security sources said today that an intelligence official was killed following an armed attack against him west of the capital, Baghdad.

The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the assassins crossed his road and shot him dead.

No other details were given.

Maybe one of those Scandinavian mystery novelists my wife is always reading needs to move to Baghdad.

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

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