Soccer in Samarra

They're playing soccer in Samarra, the site of the mosque bombing back in 2006, where al Qaeda terrorized the local citizens, until our forces surged in last year and joined with them to fight back. They're handing out school supplies at Somer Primary School.

General Ray Odierno says the surge is working, but the peace is fragile. And General David Petraeus, the architect of the surge and incoming US commander of that entire region, will be implementing that proven strategy in Afghanistan, but Petraeus warns of tough challenges ahead to succeed against the terrorists. Full remarks here.

No attacks at home, fewer abroad.

And John McCain, peace through strength.

UPDATE: Very disturbing news yesterday on Iran's intentions toward Israel, even as their full nuclear capability draws near. Who will stop a nuclear Iran? Former GOP Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana and Democrat Sen. Chuck Robb of Virginia in the Washington Post:

It is likely that the first and most pressing national security issue the next president will face is the growing prospect of a nuclear-weapons-capable Iran. After co-chairing a recently concluded, high-level task force on Iranian nuclear development, we have come to believe that five principles must serve as the foundation of any reasonable, bipartisan and comprehensive Iranian policy.

First, an Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear weapons capability would be strategically untenable. It would threaten U.S. national security, regional peace and stability, energy security, the efficacy of multilateralism, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. While a nuclear attack is the worst-case scenario, Iran would not need to employ a nuclear arsenal to threaten U.S. interests.

Breaking news on Fox--an American woman student working on master's thesis on women's rights in Iran has been arrested for a "traffic violation" and held for a week in a prison there.

UPDATE: Karl Rove today in the WSJ:

On national security, America is close to a bilateral agreement with Iraq that will continue sending U.S. troops home based on success -- the result of the surge that Mr. McCain strongly advocated and Mr. Obama fiercely opposed. Should we elect someone so wrong about a strategy vital for success in what Osama bin Laden calls the central front in the war on terror?