Massive truck bombs in Baghdad last week dramatized sectarian differences, even as Prime Minister al-Maliki claimed to have security well in hand. Will political instability lead to civil war? Will Iran extend its influence in Iraqi affairs? Should the US continue its troop withdrawal? Also, the legacy of "Liberal Lion" Ted Kennedy, who died of cancer last night at the age of 77.
Banner image: Iraqi men inspect damaged vehicles still strewn on a street, four days after a truck bombing outside the foreign ministry building in central Baghdad on August 23. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images