Truck Bomb Kills Five! (oh, and Iraqi Prime Minister Pledges No Retreat)

The headline is familiar enough: "Truck bomb kills at least 5 in northern Iraq." The attack was near a Shiite mosque, after noon prayers, south of Kirkuk.

Five paragraphs of that standard-issue bit of news pushed something else down the page:

"...THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister says the withdrawal of U.S. troops from urban areas by the end of this month will be a 'big victory' for the nation...." (AP)

Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, acknowledged that terrorists ("millitants," in AP-speak) will stage more attacks. My guess is that he didn't realize how little time that would take. But never mind.

Al-Maliki also said that Iraq wouldn't let the attacks turn back the clock on Iraq's security. says militants will try to stage more attacks but Iraqi security forces won't let them reverse security gains.

I see his "...'we will not retreat no matter what happens.'..." (AP) as more of a statement of intent than certain knowledge: but I also think it is a good sign.

As I wrote earlier this year (February 15, 2009), Iraq is acting like an independent country. I think it's very near time to say, "mission accomplished."

Related posts:

• "Young Iraqi Teens as Suicide Bombers: Getting More Bang for the Buck"
  (June 7, 2009)
• "Pakistan; Nawaz Sharif; Multiculturalism; and a Skewed World View"
  (March 15, 2009)
• "Good News from Iraq: Voter Fraud and Verbal Attacks on American Leaders"
  (February 15, 2009)
• "Iraq, Freedom, and a Reality Check"
  (July 7, 2008)

In the news:

• "Truck bomb kills at least 5 in northern Iraq"
  The Associated Press (June 20, 2009)