8:09 PM
Iraq's future is on a firmer footing as it is revealed that the National Library in Baghdad was not burned and looted wholesale, but instead mostly evacuated in an impromptu rescue operation by Iraqi civilians in the days before the building was burned by looters who were less successful than perhaps even they believed.

Part of my faith in the future stems from the continued existence of Iraq's cultural heritage. But most comes from knowing that there are enough people who value that heritage to successfully move and hide the contents of an entire major library.