Things Change: It does seem that, only a few weeks ago, most of the media had written off Iraq. Civil war seemed inevitable, U.S. soldiers were sitting ducks for militants, and we should leave Iraq right away and hand over control (this last opinion usually coupled with a snicker that the administration didn't even know who would receive that authority).

Quite a different scene today. The latest draft resolution appears to be sailing through the security council. The oil industry (recall the "blood for oil" formulations?) is fully in Iraqi hands. Italian and Polish hostages were rescued today. Nine Iraqi militias are willing to disarm. The media is pushing the slant that this doesn't include the the biggest militia threat, Sadr's Mahdi Army, and is thus not so much of a victory. To the contrary, it shows that Sadr is more and more isolated.

Bad news mixes with the good, of course, but the interim government seems to be starting out with some marks in the "wins" column.