What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took his Mahdi Army out of action for up to six months to overhaul the feared Shiite militia — a stunning move that underscores the growing struggles against breakaway factions with suspected ties to Iran. The announcement by al-Sadr — who formed the militia after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 — appeared aimed at distancing himself from suspected Iranian-backed Mahdi factions he can no longer control. The Mahdi Army was also blamed for killing thousands of Sunnis and forcing others from their homes during a wave of sectarian reprisal attacks after the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra. But it is unclear how much control the 33-year-old al-Sadr maintains over now-fragmented organization. Estimates of the number of Mahdi fighters vary widely, with some as high as 50,000 to 60,000 nationwide. You have to appreciate the irony here. On one hand we have a foreign army (ours) fighting in Iraq despite numerous calls for withdrawl, while on the other hand there is a domestic militia (theirs) that is pulling out of the fighting despite strong desires among the ranks to shoot anything that moves.

Pakistan - Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf has agreed to step down as army chief, exiled Prime Minister Benazhir Bhutto said, a move that would be a key step toward a power-sharing deal aimed at rescuing the U.S. ally's bid for another presidential term. Bhutto, who is expected to return to her homeland and contest parliamentary elections due by January, also said corruption charges would be dropped against her and dozens of other politicians as part of ongoing negotiations to restore civilian rule. Musharraf and Bhutto have been in talks for months about a pact that would protect the general's re-election bid from legal challenges and public disenchantment with military rule. Here's why I don't like politicians. Usually when you step down its because no one wants you for the job--that's the way it works in pretty much every job known to humankind. Not true in government. No no. You step down one step so you can jump ahead two down the road. And they wonder why the general public distrusts politicians.

Mexico - Here's another reason why I don't like politicians...they are spineless wienies. Facing noisy protests by leftist deputies, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has turned his back on Congress and booked a Mexico City concert hall to deliver his first state-of-the-nation speech. Calderon was due to address Congress and the nation on September 1, but left-wing lawmakers who contest his election win last year vowed to derail the tradition-steeped annual event, as they did a year ago with the outgoing Vicente Fox. To avoid any rumpus, Calderon will address the nation a day late, on Sept 2, from the Auditorio Nacional concert hall surrounded by supporters from his National Action Party.On September 1, he will merely hand a printed copy of his speech in to Congress and walk away.

Senate - Idaho Senator Larry Craig's political support eroded by the hour as fellow Republicans in Congress called for him to resign and party leaders pushed him unceremoniously from senior committee posts. The White House expressed disappointment, too — and nary a word of support for the 62-year-old lawmaker, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge stemming from an undercover police operation in an airport men's room. For the most part, Democrats studiously avoided involvement with an unfolding Republican scandal. Finally, a smart move by the Democrats. Seriously, how much more damage could they pile on than Craig's GOP colleagues have already done?

Global Climate - Climate change may carry a higher risk of flooding than was previously thought, the journal Nature reports. Researchers say efforts to calculate flooding risk from climate change do not take into account the effect carbon dioxide has on vegetation. Higher atmospheric levels of this greenhouse gas reduce the ability of plants to suck water out of the ground and "breathe" out the excess. Their reduced ability to release water back into the atmosphere will result in the ground becoming saturated. I'm sure it will be of great comfort to all the folks throughout the world who have lost their homes to flooding, that we have a new therory to explain why.

Stock Market - Same old, same old. Down 200 points yesterday, up 200 points today (247 to be precise). I wonder you those day traders are down with their blood pressure medication?