Middle East Diplomacy

Mark:"Is this a game of chance?"
W.C.Fields:"Not the way I play it, no."

It's how they play it in that part of the world, as Omar reports.

Thirty Mahdi Army commanders assasinated in Damascus

Unknown gunmen assassinated 30 Mahdi Army commanders in the Syrian capital Damascus. The killings, made in the past few weeks, were all made "quietly, inside the victims apartments",

All the usual suspects (everybody) are being blamed. The survivors are beating feet to Iran, and probably to whatever other places look less dangerous at the moment. Mookie Al-Sadr may miss them. Nobody else will.

Speaking of danger in the middle east, it also seems that Egypt and Algeria are on the verge of an impromptu war in the streets of Cairo. Fatalities are widely expected. Of course since it's only over a soccer game, the governments seem relatively unconcerned. Soccer hooligans, hah! There's plenty more where those came from.