"Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq"? What's that about, Teribus? Saddam, who was just the kind of leader the US admin loves to cultivate (Mobutu, Pinochet, etc) or just ignores (Kim Jong-il, Amin, Mugabe), surely ruled too firmly for Al Qaeda ever to get a foothold in Iraq?

Still, it's rassuring to know that the Taleban is not resurgent. In fact apart from killing British and American troops seemingly at will and with apparent impunity (another five today) they are no trouble at all.