Catch up links

Last week, I escaped the World Wide Web in favour of the World Wide View you get from up here:


And it was great to get away from my computer screen.

This is what I would have been reading if I hadn't been up this mountain.

• News about an escalation of violence in Southern Iraq and Baghdad. Last of Iraqis wrote a daily update of the situation from the Iraqi capital.
  

• Coverage of the Zimbabwe elections at This is Zimbabwe and Anita Coulson's Frontline Blog.

• This report suggesting that the US military use bloggers to gain the upper hand in the 'information war'.

• 10 Downing Street's 'official twitter channel'.
  

US fatalities in Iraq and other links

US in Iraq

• Three American soldiers have died in a rocket attack in southern Iraq. At least 3,987 American military personnel have lost their lives in the five year conflict (AP)...

• ...but fewer Americans are aware of the extent of the casualties according to a Pew Research Center publication. Pew's research showed that only 28% of American adults are aware that the fatality figure is around 4,000.

• Here's one blog reaction to the research (Out of Iraq Bloggers Caucus).
  

Defence in the Budget in the UK

• The Treasury believes that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost the UK Government £2 billion next year (The Times).

BBC

• The Guardian claims that social networking restrictions and guidelines are in the offing for BBC staff.