Three from the Mideast

1) It's a very quiet story considering its gravity, but 15 of 18 Iraqi benchmarks have been satisfactorily met.

The White House sees the progress in a particularly positive light, declaring in a new assessment to Congress that Iraq's efforts on 15 of 18 benchmarks are "satisfactory" — almost twice of what it determined to be the case a year ago. The May 2008 report card, obtained by the Associated Press, determines that only two of the benchmarks — enacting and implementing laws to disarm militias and distribute oil revenues — are unsatisfactory.

It appears they're missing one - or they miscounted or something - and the article goes on to be critical, but I don't think that's the real story here.

2) On the other hand, Iraq's wounded vets are ending up like just about every other wounded vet ever.

3) Apparently, there was a generals plot in Turkey? Wow.