Countdown to Iraqi vote

Attacks by the insurgency in Iraq have dipped recently. A Reuters piece relays the widespread speculation that this is merely the calm before the storm, a prelude to a "spectacular" attack surrounding the elections later this week.

On the other hand, those looking for a rosier assessment of things might wish to conclude that the capture of Abu Omar al-Kurdi, who is allegedly responsible for "75 percent of the car bombs used in attacks in Baghdad," might have something to do with the lull in the violence.