In other news from Iraq, a pro-American mayor was murdered yesterday along with his son. Al Jazeera reported the mayor was killed because he was “accused of cooperating” with Americans.

The deaths were among a flurry of attacks yesterday which was the anniversary of Saddam Hussein’s seizing of power in 1979.

Also for the second time in two weeks, Iraqi forces unsuccessfully fired surface-to-air missiles at a landing U.S. aircraft in Baghdad.