Ok, we're all in the throes of information overload from Petreaus and Crocker, and the various talking heads picking apart the scarce facts of the situation. Surge is working, surge is sorta working, surge is not working the way it needs to, confidence in the surge, troop drawdown, oooook.

The consensus on the real long-term issue, political reconciliation, is that the Iraqi government is "dysfunctional." I'll believe that, if only because it seems self evident, but does anyone else think that the actual goings-on of the Iraqi parliament and the state of political negotiations has been woefully underreported? Or at least reported without detail?

The parliament was out last month, so that partially explains the gap. But if you gave me a quiz on who's talking about what and how far along they are in the discussion... I'd fail rather poorly. I think most of us would. Yes, they need to pass an 'oil law.' But what has been proposed? What would be the outcome of the various plans? Is constitutional reform an issue being discussed? How so? Did the partial Sunni walkout ever end?

Does anyone have any links\publications that do a half-decent job of following what is undoubdtedly the central question in Iraq?

Well, you might start with the Iraqi blogosphere, which has some good and some not-so-good sites. One of the biggest is <link>; probably not to the taste of most here (they- gasp- have been somewhat supportive of our efforts there!) but their blogroll is a pretty long listing of sites, both pro- and anti-.

Some of us have actually been reading what Iraqis themselves have had to say for years (I have, since 2003); you might try it.

Mike O:

Well, you might start with the Iraqi blogosphere, which has some good and some not-so-good sites. One of the biggest is <link>; probably not to the taste of most here (they- gasp- have been somewhat supportive of our efforts there!) but their blogroll is a pretty long listing of sites, both pro- and anti-.

Some of us have actually been reading what Iraqis themselves have had to say for years (I have, since 2003); you might try it.

Iraqthemodel is owned and operated by Pajamas Media. Why bother to go there when you peruse their main blog -- LittleGreenFootballs.

I'm not saying it's right-wing propaganda.

I'm not saying it.

That doesn't mean that it's not.

Check it out and decide for yourself.