Surging and Awakening

Dexter Filkins has a piece in the latest issue of The New Republic which discusses both Iraq and Thomas Ricks book, The Gamble. It is a long article but I highly recommend it.

Richard Engel On Morning Media Menu

NBC Foreign Correspondent, Richard Engel joined mediabistro.com for their 100th Morning Media Menu. The audio and synopsis can be found here.

On the audio Richard Engel discusses his May 1st appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher (where he was joined by Fareed Zakaria). The link to all podcasts from Bill Maher's show can be found here.

Babylon Ruins Reopen in Iraq, to Controversy

Colonial powers looted it, Saddam Hussein rebuilt it, American and Polish troops turned it into a military camp, and now Babylon, Iraqis hope, will draw tourists. Steven Lee Myers writes about the controversy in Sunday's New York Times. An audio slide show, narrated by the reporter can be found here.