REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• Only 300 of 1,000 Sunni Arabs trained to become part of the Iraqi Army have reported for duty as yet, undermining attempts to free the Iraqi Army of sectarian troubles.

• For the first time since the fall of Iraq in 2003, an Iraqi province is wholly the responsibility of Iraqi forces again. Al-Multhanna province is a sparsely populated province southeast of Baghdad, a logical choice for transfer to Iraqi control.

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• Adel Qazaz, head of Iraq's North Oil Company, was kidnapped Sunday.

• U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad says that only $4 billion of a promised $14 billion in foreign aid has been delived as yet.

• Iraq's Ministry of Trade will improve quality control standards to resolve the issue of Iraq's substandard food rations. Iraq has seen a rise of malnutrition and food poisoning cases in recent months.

IRAQI POLITICS

• The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, believes Moqtada al-Sadr is now the key player in Iraq's stability. They recommend engaging him to complete his transformation from outsider to insider so that his forces can be used to stabilize Iraq. Moqtada al-Sadr has condemned the sectarian attacks occurring in Iraq, calling them 'unacceptable.' He called on the Mehdi Army to focus on protecting the Iraqi people.

• The Organization of the Islamic Conference wants to bring together Shiite and Sunni scholars in an effort to reduce the sectarian conflict in Iraq.

• A study suggests that corruption is a massive problem in the Iraqi police force.

• The Sunni Arab representatives have ended their boycott of Parliament after Muqtada al-Sadr called for unity among Iraqis and the kidnappers promised to release Tayseer al-Mashhadani, whose kidnapping instigated the boycott.

• During a visit to Iraq, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld emphasized that securing Iraq depended on the political success of the Iraqi government. He also said that the Iraqi government was not yet ready to discuss U.S. troop drawdowns.

• Iraq's Prime Minister denounced Israel's strikes in Lebanon, calling them criminal and suggesting they would lead to more violence. The Iraqi parliament stands fully behind al-Maliki on this.

• This week's Carnival of the Liberated is up.

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• Iraq's new government plans to ask the United Nations to make American troops liable under Iraqi law for any crimes they commit in Iraq. Since such a resolution would have to go through the Security Council, it's unlikely the UN can help, but the request marks a significant break between the U.S. and the Iraqi government.

• U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says the Iraqi government can prevail over outbreaks of violence like the attacks that killed more than 50 in Baghdad last weekend. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte noted that the violence in Iraq is now confined to specific geographic areas, which may make it easier to root out and eliminate.

• Australia's Defence Department has reopened its inquiry into the shooting death of the bodyguard of an Iraqi minister after it learned investigators failed to question a single Iraqi about the incident.

• The Iraq war could cost the United States between $202 and $406 billion over the next ten years, depending on how quickly the U.S. draws down its forces.

ETCETERA

• Former Army private Stephen Green had a history of troubles dating to before his enlistment in the service, highlighting the risks the Army faces in changing recruiting standards to maintain manning. His attorneys have requested imposition of a gag rule regarding the incident extending as far as President Bush in order to protect their client's right to a fair trial.

• The U.S. Army has ended its contract for logistical services with Halliburton, shifting to three different contractors with a fourth contract still up for bid.

• Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire purchase price of the GI Bracelet is donated to support our troops and their families! Please join us to give back to these brave people in their time of need.

• The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops: American, Australian, British, Canadian & Polish. Anyone out there with more information, contact us!

• Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!

• Many American troops have taken it upon themselves to reconstruct schools and gather learning tools for the children of Iraq. Their efforts have been met with immense gratitude from the local Iraqis and their children. You can help too! Visit Operation Iraqi Children and get involved.

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