An Iraqi mother sits waiting as her daughter (unseen) tries on wedding gowns in a store in the mainly Sunni Muslim al-Mansur district of Baghdad on November 18, 2008. Washington and Baghdad are moving closer to clinching a security pact that highlights Iraq’s growing stability but also the blood and treasure that all sides have spent to achieve modest gains. AFP — Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:59:12 AM
