What comes next in Iraq

Right now there's the ongoing battle for Mosul. Bill Roggio has the latest on The Mosul Offensive

• Just over one year after the surge officially began Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to pursue al Qaeda in Iraq. After al Qaeda has been driven from its havens in Baghdad and the surrounding belts regions, and most recently in Diyala, the city of Mosul has emerged as the latest battleground.

Looking down the road would help, especially to help us determine what effect if any it will have on the elections. David Ignatius at The Washington Post has a good longer term look with his The Next Iraq Phase

• BAGHDAD -- America's future role in Iraq is being shaped by two discussions underway here and in Washington. One is a Bush administration debate about the timetable for reducing U.S. troops this year, and the other is a U.S.-Iraqi negotiation about the status of the residual American force that will remain after 2008.