We suppose it does not constitute news to say the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan is in trouble, but it represents the primary event of the day.

The guerrilla war in Iraq moved decisively on June 24 into the southern part of the country. Six British soldiers were killed in a police station in Majar al-Kabir, just south of the city of Al Amarah, which is 180 miles southeast of Baghdad. Reports indicate that the soldiers were killed by guerrilla gunfire.

Diaries should not begin with news from last week as a rule, but the news of the combat incident along the Syrian-Iraqi border last week forces us to break the rule. We feel justified by the fact that the U.S. Defense Department didn't tell anyone about the clash until Monday.

Counterinsurgency operations continued over the weekend in Iraq, with U.S. forces raiding private homes and detaining Iraqis. The U.S. command reported that the raids produced additional intelligence on the guerrilla movement and how it operates; guerrilla operations continued. On Saturday, June 21, two U.S.

The war in Iraq continued today with more attacks and casualties. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell downplayed the significance of his visit to the Middle East, saying it was just another day. The United States continued to warn Iran about developing nuclear weapons while Iran continued to resist.

The United States announced June 18 that it had captured the fourth most-wanted man in Iraq, ranked just below former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's two sons and Hussein himself.

The real Palestinian peace talks are under way -- with Palestinians negotiating with Palestinians. This might yield negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

The peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians appear to have hit a snag, which seems wholly inadequate for the situation. Actually, the real negotiations at the moment appear to be between Hamas and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, mediated by the Egyptians, with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat as the secret guest.

Tensions in Iran rose to significant levels over the weekend, as gunmen supportive of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei raided university dormitories in Tehran in actions clearly designed to intimidate pro-reform students.

U.S. forces carried out the first major counterinsurgency operation against Iraqi guerrillas. Operation Peninsula Strike included air and ground operations in the area north of Baghdad. An Apache helicopter was shot down during the operation.