I had hoped that the balance on this thing between domestic and foreign policy concerns would be somewhat more equal than it has been in practice. However the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground in Iraq means I keep coming back to that. The true horror of what is going on is slowly becoming apparent and references to a 'massacre' or 'bloodbath', which it would usually be tempting to dismiss as alarmist, have a horrible aura of truth about them.

Recommended Reading:
Sami Ramadani, 'They told them to go from day one', The Guardian, 9/4/04
Ben Granby, 'The Case Against A Military Solution to al-Sadr', Electronic Iraq, 9/4/04