LAST THROES. As you've probably already seen:

The number of roadside bombs planted in Iraq rose in July to the highest monthly total of the war, offering more evidence that the anti-American insurgency has continued to strengthen despite the killing of the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Along with a sharp increase in sectarian attacks, the number of daily strikes against American and Iraqi security forces has doubled since January. The deadliest means of attack, roadside bombs, made up much of that increase. In July, of 2,625 explosive devices, 1,666 exploded and 959 were discovered before they went off. In January, 1,454 bombs exploded or were found.

[...]

“The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels,” said a senior Defense Department official who agreed to discuss the issue only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for attribution. “The insurgency has more public support and is demonstrably more capable in numbers of people active and in its ability to direct violence than at any point in time.”

So. Slide towards civil war and increasing insurgency. We can have both simultaneously. Huzzah.

Is it tipping point time? 'Cause it's starting to feel like tipping point time. And not in a good way.

[...] After General Abizaid’s testimony, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator John W. Warner of Virginia, said that if Iraq fell into civil war, the committee might need to examine whether the authorization provided by Congress for the use of American force in Iraq would still be valid. The comments by Senator Warner, a senior Republican who is a staunch supporter of the president, have reverberated loudly across Congress.

Political dominos are falling. CW opinion-makers, too: Friedman, Broder, Will.

Read The Rest Scale: 4 out of 5. Plus extra bonus intra-Shi'ite fighting!

ADDENDUM, 9:51 a.m.: More on the intra-Shi'ite/government fighting in Basra.