Jack, the Grumpy Forester, heard them flying South over his place, meaning California was bringing in aircraft on Monday in anticipation of Santa Anas winds this week.

Unfortunately they are needed as CNN is reporting that Malibu is again in flames. Four dozen houses have already been lost and the fire is only 25% contained as hot, dry Santa Anas blow through the canyons at hurricane speeds.

There has also been fires in New Mexico and near Ramona in San Diego county. Rain is the only answer, and that isn’t looking good.

The Associated Press reports from Baghdad: Iraq blast blamed on Iran-backed militants

BAGHDAD – The U.S. military on Saturday blamed the deadly bombing of a pet market in Baghdad on Iranian-backed Shiite militants, raising concerns that Shiite extremist activity could escalate and jeopardize waning violence in Iraq.
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“In raids overnight, Iraqi and coalition forces were able to identify and detain four members of a militia extremist group we assess as responsible for this horrific act of indiscriminate violence,” [U.S. spokesman Rear Adm. Gregory] Smith said. “Based on subsequent confessions, forensics and other intelligence, the bombing was the work of an Iranian-backed special groups cell operating here in Baghdad.”
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Elizabeth Palmer of CBS News filed this White House propaganda piece: Notebook: Iran’s Rhetoric Clear

This week at a nuclear conference in Tehran, Iran’s new chief nuclear negotiator Sayeed Jalili said, “Nuclear weapons are inhuman and unacceptable. We are opposed to them on principle.”

“We only want a nuclear program,” the official line goes, “to fuel nuclear reactors for making electricity.”

The rest of the world doesn’t believe it.

France and Germany are now lockstep with the U.S. in an effort to introduce new sanctions against Iran, backed by the U.N. Security Council. China and Russia are hedging on sanctions, but they too are unsettled by Iran’s nuclear program, which is already enriching uranium.

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