Warmed Over Cold Warrior

It can be hard to find out what else is happening in Iraq besides bombings. So it's very helpful to hear from someone who has a good source of news and compiles it. If you'ld like to hear the rest of the news regularly, check the Monday editions of National Review Online for Bill Crawford on Iraq.

The April 3 edition starts : "Welcome to another round-up of good news in Iraq. Two positive trends have remained strong. First, Iraqi forces continue to takeover more battlespace from the U.S., and they continue to show that they are capable of securing their own country. Second, Iraqi citizens continue to provide tips against terrorists and insurgents. Also noteworthy is that the number of attacks is decreasing, and the number of casualties with it. Finally, this week's edition features several stories about heroes — soldiers who went above and beyond in their service to our country and were recognized for it."

It continues with a solid roundup of news and facts and stats, and some fine stories of real successes and heroism by our military. This edition tells the story of Sgt. Paul Smith who received the first Congressional Medal of Honor awarded for service in Iraq. Read the whole thing.

You don't have to wait till the Monday edition of NRO to hear the rest of the news (that Legacy Media doesn't report) from Iraq. You can link to Bill Crawford's blog, All Things Conservative , where you can find news items like this:
" Eight mass graves containing around 1 000 bodies have been found near Iraq's northern oil hub of Kirkuk, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced on Thursday.

'Most of the victims were Kurds, as well as some Christians and Turcoman, who lived in these two majority Kurdish villages,' the PUK said in a statement.

Also included among the victims were Shi'ites killed during the 1991 repression of an uprising by former dictator Saddam Hussein, it said.

What is interesting here is that I haven't seen this news on any American news sites. This might change, but for now you have to go to the foreign press to find it. "

and this :
"In other news from Iraq that the mainstream media will probably also ignore, bombings are down 84% this year:

According to a study by the Brookings Institution, as of last May, the monthly rate of suicide car attacks stood at 136.

By December, however, that number had fallen to just 30 per month. In February - the last month for which statistics are available - car bombings were down to just 22 per month.

Please, someone explain this to me. First, I want to be fair here, so I will just say that perhaps the MSM will report on these two stories, but if they don't I want to give my readers the opportunity to explain why they shouldn't. Why does ABC News report(rightly so) on a few bodies found here and there in Baghdad, but doesn't report that new mass graves have been found or that bombings in Iraq are down significantly. Seriously, someone explain it to me.

I can't explain it; but I'm glad to find and pass on the rest of the news.