Today's Inside Line: Iraq's New "Surge" of Bombs and Politics

Iraq is back.

Having dropped off Page 1 --- in part because of the narrative of US surge success, in part because of George W. Bush's departure, and in part because internal politics rather than violence is so much harder to cover --- Iraq has been pushed back into the news because of a series of deadly bombings. Since Monday, more than 200 people have died in the attacks, including 65 in yesterday's motorcycle bomb in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

The violence still isn't enough to merit Page 1 in The New York Times or Washington Post; however, Anthony Shadid has an excellent in-depth article on political manoeuvres: "In Iraq, a Different Struggle for Power - Maliki's Message on January Election Is Clear: Cooperate or Risk His Wrath". Building on interviews with council members who have faced intimidation, Shadid moves to a battle that goes beyond the old Shi'a v. Sunni storyline to highlight the tension between the national and the local, "Everyone seems to be looking for an angle, in pursuit of the coalition they think can triumph in the January elections. Everyone has a grievance no less pronounced."