Passing The Torch

John Manley at The Torch analyzes the fighting in Najaf and how it is linked to the June 28th transfer of sovereignty:

The recent revival of Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's violent insurgency has been framed by some as evidence of a worsening situation in Iraq, but it is no such thing. The fighting that rages in Najaf offers the opportunity to finally close a hole in Iraq's security that has festered for months. If and when this is done, though the burden of the fighting will have been carried largely by coalition forces, the victory will be in part the product and reflection of the strategic shift brought about by the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi government.