From their own lips

The BBC reports that there were no anniversary parades in Baghdad yesterday. There were statements from the Iraqi leadership, including these:

Iraqi president Jalal Talabani: ""The walk on this new path began five years ago but it faces huge difficulties. There is violence and terrorism, and corruption has become a dangerous disease."

Iraqi Prime Miister, Nouri Maliki: ""Reconstruction and the building of services and culture cannot be achieved in the shadow of economic corruption, manipulation and the placement of dishonest people in sensitive places. These things must be reviewed before the provincial elections."

Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie: ""Instead of leaving thousands of youngsters in the streets to be picked up by al-Qaeda, we should pay them more than al-Qaeda is paying them."