Wednesday: 21 Iraqis Killed, 9 Wounded

At least 21 Iraqis were killed and nine more were wounded as Ramadan began for Sunni Muslims. Meanwhile, Iraq’s top army officer, Lieutenant General Babakar Zebari, warned that the U.S. pullout is premature and asked politicians to find a way to fill the void after 2011. Ideally, he wants American troops to stay until 2020. Outgoing Ambassador Christopher Hill, however, is more hopeful and thinks the political deadlock over the premiership might break soon.