A hopeful new phase

Rumsfeld is going before Congress today to seek an additional $65 billion for the war in Iraq, which he says is entering a, "hopeful new phase."

Meanwhile, Juan Cole informs us that 42 people were killed in Iraq yesterday. One US soldier was killed yesterday, two on Monday, and seven over the weekend. Gunmen assassinated the coach of the Basra soccer team. Hundreds of Iraqis are fleeing Basra for Baghdad everyday because the security situation in Basra is even worse than that in Baghdad. There have been between 700 and 800 assassinations by death squads in Basra alone during the past month.