From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

U.S. soldiers are leaving. Is Iraq prepared?

Hello again. I'm Arun Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says next Tuesday's withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from cities and towns

is a great victory for the Iraqi people. But many Iraqi people have other ideas. A new wave of

bombings has now killed more than 200 in the past three days? Has sectarian violence already resumed between

Shiites and Sunnis? Will the Kurds

rebel against a central government dominated

by Arabs? Will Iran

intervene, in part, to divert attention

away from its own problems?

On reporter's notebook later on, the world

mourns Michael Jackson.

First, here's the news.

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Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To the Point. The new wave of bombings continued today in Iraq with U.S. troops leaving cities and towns next Tuesday is the country faced with sectarian civil war.

On reporter's notebook, Michael Jackson was indeed an international superstar.

We'll get reaction to his death from around the world.

First, this news update, Iran's President Ahmadinejad has demanded a public apology from President Obama over claims that Washington has interfered in Iran's internal affairs.

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