Allawi Shows His US Pedigree:

Today's US air attack on Falluja - the fifth since June 19th - was sanctioned by the new "soveriegn" Iraqi government:

"'After consultations between Iraqi government officials and multinational forces-Iraq, Iraqi security forces provided clear and compelling intelligence to conduct a precision strike this evening on a known Zarqawi safe house in southeastern Fallujah,' Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in a statement."

The move is sure to stir further anti-government and anti-US resentment as more bodies are dug out of the rubble... Not a good start, Mr Allawi. But not at all surprising either.

The US military says it dropped four 500-pound (225kg) bombs and two 1,000-pound (450kg) bombs in the raid, which took place at about 7:15 pm local (Iraqi) time. Given that these bombs are being dropped from planes into populated civilian areas, it is no surprise that women and children are once again being reported among the dead and wounded.

And spare a thought for Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Lebanese-born corporal who deserted the US army in Iraq only to be captured and threatened with beheading. Now that he has been spared from execution, the US forces in Iraq will be trying even harder to find him... so they can arrest him for desertion!