Two American troops were killed on Tuesday, the first to die since the official end of combat.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his debut novel, A Journey. Today he was in Dublin, Ireland and was greeted by flying shoes, flip-flops, eggs, and protesters chanting "blood on his hands."

In your pre-vacation Friday media column: the AP warns reporters on war propaganda, another Newsweek departure, China's "future of journalism" candidate, and ABC pulls a story, while standing by it.

President Obama gave the second Oval Office address of his presidency tonight, announcing the official end of the Iraq War. It wasn't a bad speech, either! Though, of course, Sarah Palin had an opinion about it.

Next Tuesday, after this vacation, Barack Obama will deliver an Oval Office address on Iraq.

Xe Services, the mercenary group formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide, has agreed to pay $42 million in fines for violating US weapon export laws. No big deal though, since the market for mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan is still booming.

The last U.S. combat troops have pulled out of Iraq. Here, a soldier from the 4th battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment dismantles a machine gun atop a Stryker troop carrier after crossing into Kuwait. Mission a—something? (Pic AP)

Congressman Mike Rogers, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told a Michigan radio station that he thinks Pfc. Bradley Manning, if found guilty of giving classified military videos and documents to Wikileaks, should be executed for treason.

The Pentagon was supposed to manage $9.1 billion in reconstruction money raised by Iraq. So how did that go? Pretty well, except for the 95 percent of it that the Pentagon can't account for. Good work, folks. [Image via Getty]

Smooth talking VP Joe Biden is in Iraq today, hoping to settle a months-long political dispute among the country's leaders.

Three American hikers who were arrested last summer—and who are still being held for allegedly crossing into Iranian territory—were in Iraq when they were captured by Iranian security forces, according to a five month investigation by The Nation.

The Way We Live Now: Rejoicing, for we are saved. Untold riches have been deposited under our very feet by god Himself! Now if god can just fix up every other fucking thing that's shot to hell, we'll be...better.

Baghdad, a city of 7 million, is overrun with 1.25 million stray dogs that live in feral packs and terrorize children. Now that Baghdad's feral human problem is (relatively) under control, authorities are going after dogs with shotguns and poison.

Army Specialist Bradley Manning, 22, was arrested last month after bragging about giving Wikileaks the infamous Iraq helicopter assault video, plus a previously unknown 260,000 classified US diplomatic cables that he said are "almost criminal political back dealings." [Wired]

Peter Galbraith, a former US ambassador, NYRB contributor, and persona non grata at the UN is ready for home state politics. His experience advising Iraqi Kurds in shady oil deals should set him up for a lawmaking career. [AP]

In a dusty storeroom in Afghanistan, seven soldiers stand in formation. Lady Gaga is on the sound system. They dance. Videos like these from the frontline are a far cry from candid camera hazing rituals that usually grab the spotlight.

The latest headlines don't seem to back up Bush's hubris-filled claim, back in May 2003, that the war was won. 'Wave of Fatal Bombings Widens Fissures in Iraq,' for example. Some US troops will pull out in August. [HuffPo]

How dumb and lazy is George W. Bush? So dumb and lazy that he can't even write a real memoir! Instead, he will write "an account of key decisions in his life." We have some guesses about what those are.

The US military has reportedly killed two top leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Last week, Wikileaks tweeted that Robert Gates was a "liar". Gates wasn't about to take this sitting down. Today, he slammed Wikileaks while standing aboard a U.S. military aircraft, like a real man.