REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley says that al-Maliki is beginning to crack down on sectarian militias and death squads, including those within the Iraqi government.

• Iraq the Model wants to know where's the MSM coverage of some recent positive developments in Iraq.

• A U.S. F-16 crashed near Fallujah on Monday during ground support operations. The cause of the crash is not yet known, but the pilot has been listed as killed in action.

• The New York Times reports that Hezbollah is training Shiite militias in Iraq, specifically Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• According to The Office of the Inspector General in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Iraq has lost in the past three years, potential oil revenues of 24.7 billion dollars due to violence and political instability which demolished existing operations and prevented the start of new projects.

• The Iraqi Central Bank reduced inflation last October by 2.7% from the previous month, and has decicded to raise interest rates to 16% to motivate commercial banks to make fundamental adjustments in various bank interest rates to further control inflation.

• Iraq has invested in Olive Oil Groves as a source of exportable goods to neighboring countries over the next 10 years.

IRAQI POLITICS

• Baathist insurgents will not treat with the Iraqi government until strict conditions are met, including the complete withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

• Whether or not Iraq will be formally partitioned, Iraqi citizens are doing the job themselves in response to ongoing sectarian violence.

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

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• The battle over what to call the fighting in Iraq continues with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan declaring it a civil war.

• During Vice President Talabani's visit to Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei blamed the U.S. and U.S.-backed agents for the ongoing violence in Iraq.

• South Korea will continue its support of the Iraq mission for another year while cutting back a little less than half of its current troop strength.

• The UN reports Iraq is losing 2,000-3,000 refugees per day into neighboring countries, straining those nations' ability to care for them.

• With China's thirst for oil and gas, it may risk politically in Iran and security in Iraq to gain foothold in areas where the western companies fear to approach.

• Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said the Cairo-based Arab League will host a foreign-ministerial meeting of Iraq's neighboring countries at the AL headquarters on Dec. 5.

ETCETERA

• Glenn Reynolds has proposed blogger symposium to discuss ideas for what to do next in Iraq.

• 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.

Thanks for reading! If you found something here you want to blog about yourself (and we hope you do), all we ask is that you do as we do and offer a Hat Tip hyperlink to today's "Winds of War". If you think we missed something important, use the Comments section to let us know. And if you have a tip for a future Iraq Report, email us at MondayIraqReport(at)windsofchange.net.