Meanwhile in Iraq

Attack sparks fire at Iraq oil facility: A mortar attack ignited a huge fire Monday night at an oil facility in northern Iraq, shutting the flow of crude oil to a major refinery, and a U.S. Air Force jet with one pilot aboard crashed in Anbar province, a hotbed of the Sunni-Arab insurgency, officials said. Al-Jazeera reported that the pilot was killed.

Browne: Troops could leave Iraq: Thousands of British troops could be back from Iraq by the end of next year, Defence Secretary Des Browne has said. Mr Browne refused to be drawn on the exact numbers, but he made clear that if the planned return of Basra to full Iraqi control goes ahead next spring it would be followed by a significant draw down of British forces.

Iraq: More than 70 killed in another bloody day in Iraq: A Shi'ite politician, Nassar al-Rubaie from the anti-occupation Sadr movement, said 15 civilians were killed and 20 wounded by U.S. forces in the area.


Fresh violence reported after curfew lifted: The U-S military hasn't confirmed reports from police and witnesses that U-S soldiers shot and killed eleven civilians and wounded five yesterday in a Baghdad suburb. The police and witnesses tell Associated Press Television News the Americans "showed up and started firing at homes."

Iraq Worse Than Media Shows: "The amount of death that's on the streets of Baghdad for U.S. forces and for the Iraqi people is at an astronomical level," he said. "So, to some degree, what we're seeing is sanitized."


Security expert says Iraq 'worse than Vietnam': A security expert says he believes coalition forces face the prospect of defeat in Iraq with serious consequences. Former soldier and military historian Robert O'Neill says it is likely the coalition will pull its troops out early.


Britain to withdraw troops from Iraq: Thousands of British soldiers will leave Iraq over the next year, significantly downgrading the country's commitment in the region, the defense secretary said Monday. Poland and Italy also announced the impending withdrawal of their remaining troops.


Arrogance of the occupier: Lawmakers lose patience with Iraq gov't: Congressional leaders displayed eroding patience in the Iraqi government on Sunday, adding pressure on President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to find a faster path to peace when they meet this week

They lied their way into Iraq. Now they are trying to lie their way out: Bush and Blair will blame anyone but themselves for the consequences of their disastrous war - even its victims

Former SAS officer calls for Iraq withdrawal: Video: Former senior member of the Special Forces Major Peter Tinley is calling for the immediate withdrawal of coalition troops from Iraq.

Get Ready for the ‘Biden Report’: Biden discussed his plans for stabilizing Iraq by creating a federal system of three autonomous regions—Kurd, Shiite and Sunni—and for addressing Iran’s nuclear program

Iran says will do all it can to help Iraq: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would do whatever it could to help provide security to Iraq amid warnings the country was on the brink of civil war.