No news is no news

If you're not yet bored by my daily update on whether or not we got the Stars and Stripes, and how many of them we got, then today's post will probably push you over that brink of boredom. But hey, now you know how I feel when the most interesting thing I can talk about in my daily update was the fact that there was no newspaper available at lunch today. No doubt there will be two tomorrow! But lack of a print paper certainly doesn't stop me from reading. Today's "Good News from Iraq" story is that come September 3, the 8th Iraqi Army Division will be operating independently of U.S. advisors. Even though you've read about Iraqi forces taking the lead in many of the operations here, they have still done so under the mentorship of U. S. leaders. This milestone is a key step forward in their capabilities, and they way they are perceived by the Iraqi people. There is progress here. Slow, but sure progress.