Is the US surge working?
Peter Dobbie here, blogging on James' log-in, with news of today's World Have Your Say, on air at 1700 GMT.
IS THE SURGE WORKING ?
The death toll for US combat troops in Iraq has dropped to 27 last month. That's the lowest monthly total since March last year and that figure is part of a downward trend that appears to confirm Pentagon claims that its "surge" strategy is a success...
...The month's last US fatalities were three soldiers killed on Tuesday -- a bomb exploded as they patrolled southeast Baghdad. The drop in American deaths is, it would appear, mirrored by an apparent reduction in sectarian killings. The claim out of the Pentagon is that this has happened because of the extra 30,000 US troops sent to Iraq this year.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
The key question: is the surge working ? Will this trend continue ? What's the explanation behind a drop in levels of sectarian violence ? Could this really be light at the end of the tunnel ? A year from a US Presidential election does this look good for the Bush White House ?
IS A JOB A DEATH SENTENCE ?
Hundreds of US diplomats have protested against a government move to force them to accept postings in war-torn Iraq. About 300 angry diplomats attended a meeting at the state department, at which one labelled the decision a "potential death sentence". If too few volunteer, some will be forced to go to Iraq - or risk dismissal, unless they have exemptions.
Is it a death sentence ? Why shouldn't they go ? Just like joining the military, didn't they know what they were getting into ?
DO YOU BELIEVE HER ?
Former Beatle star Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife heather Mills has been savaged by the media after an interview she gave yesterday. The British media has reacted angrily to Heather Mills' claims that press coverage has pushed her "to the edge". Mills, who is separated from Sir Paul McCartney, told breakfast tv that she had received "worse press than a paedophile or a murderer". She also appeared to compare herself to the late Princess Diana and Kate McCann - the mother of the missing 4 year old in Portugal. Daily Mail columnist Amanda Platell said: "No-one who watched her yesterday can now be in any doubt about the extent of her self-delusion." And the tabloid Sun newspaper ran the Beatles-inspired headline: "Help! She needs somebody."
Is she deluding herself ? Or, is she speaking the truth about a celebrity driven media culture that builds people up, only to knock them down ? Could this argument be applied to ordinary people who're in the public eye as well ? Gerry McCann, father of Madeleine, went back to work today - six months after his daughter went missing. Can he ever have a normal life again ? He'll be working with the public in his job as a cardiologist, doing admin he says, and MRI scans. How can anyone really walk into a doctors office, find it's Gerry McCann, and behave normally ?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
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Later, Peter :-)
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