Iraq: More positive trends

Iraqi Sunnis End Boycott And Rejoin Government, (New York Times)…Campbell Robertson and Sabrina Tavernise. Iraqi lawmakers cleared an important hurdle on Saturday by approving the appointment of six Sunni cabinet ministers after a yearlong boycott by the Sunni political bloc.

Sunni Bloc Rejoins Iraqi Government, Amid Reconciliation Hopes, (Washington (Post) …Sudarsan Raghavan. …The move came as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an unannounced visit to Baghdad for talks with Maliki and President Jalal Talabani. Brown declared afterward that Britain will reduce troop levels in Iraq but refused to set what he called an "artificial" timetable.

Sunni Bloc Returns To Iraq Cabinet
(Los Angeles Times)…Alexandra Zavis and Raheem Salman, …Left out of the mix were members of the so-called Awakening movement made up of Sunni tribal leaders, whose rebellion against Sunni militants is credited by the U.S. military with helping bring down the level of violence nationwide. Awakening leaders have been pressing for a stake in power, and frustration is building at Maliki’s failure to embrace the movement.

Al Qaeda Shifting Focus From Iraq, (Washington Times)…Robert Burns, Associated Press. After intense U.S. assaults, al Qaeda may be considering shifting focus to its original home base in Afghanistan, where American casualties are running higher than in Iraq, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said Saturday.

Maliki Backs Obama Troop Pullout Plan
(Chicago Tribune)…Liz Sly, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threw his support behind Barack Obama’s troop withdrawal plan in an interview published Saturday, ahead of an expected visit by the Illinois senator to a significantly calmer Baghdad than the one he last encountered two years ago.

Hotel For Green Zone, (New York Daily News)…Unattributed, Iraqi officials say they have approved plans to build a five-star hotel in Baghdad’s heavily guarded Green Zone.