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Regis Philbin
Nov 22nd, 2007, 10:25 PM
I see where "Abscam Jack" Murtha still wants to surrender. :noway:

Let's surrender now before we win, that's the Democrat strategy...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca653412-97b4-11dc-9e08-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

US reports ‘phenomenal’ drop in Iraq violence

By Stephen Fidler in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Australia

Published: November 20 2007 22:15 | Last updated: November 20 2007 22:15

Violence in Iraq has fallen at a rate that has surprised military commanders and even one of the architects of the “surge” that boosted US troop numbers in the country this year, according to figures gathered by the US.

The figures show the numbers of suicide attacks, roadside bombings, mortar and other attacks on US forces and on the Iraqi population have more than halved since 30,000 extra troops in June.

The military attributes the decline to the surge, the spread of local ceasefire deals across Iraq, a ceasefire by radical Shia militias and an improvement in the Iraqi security forces.

Jack Keane, the former army general who helped persuade George W. Bush, US president, to increase troop numbers in Iraq, said the decrease in violence was “phenomenal” and had occurred far faster than he had expected.

“When you understand you are dealing with the complexity of a counter-insurgency operation which can take years to resolve, to have this dramatic a success in a short period of time, it’s unprecedented,” he said.

The US military says the number of civilian deaths has also fallen 60 per cent since the surge took effect, with a drop of 75 per cent in Baghdad. According to icasualties.org, the average monthly US death toll dropped from 96 for the first half of 2007 to 66 in the past four months. The average monthly death toll for Iraqi civilians and security forces has dropped from 2,157 to 1,223 in the same period.

ConnieB
Nov 22nd, 2007, 10:52 PM
This is still a winnable conflict and I wish the Democrats would suck it up and start to support it because our military will not give up and neither should they....

I have several friends over there and they all are telling us here at home about how things have changed and we are finally winning over there...but of course we will not see that in the media which is so sad...we as a nation deserve to see the truth in what is happening, not just the bad things, but the good as well but the media is doing a disservice to the USA.

DoubleEdgeSword
Nov 23rd, 2007, 05:48 AM
It's a lull, according to some military experts, especially the drop in the use of IEDs. Insurgents have found it more difficult to get some of the components for these weapons, but never fear, the use of fertilizer bombs are on the rise. Those pesky insurgents, huh? Don't have the makings of one kind of explosive device, they just find another.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16493807

pinky
Nov 23rd, 2007, 06:01 PM
The real test of the success of the surge is what happens when we withdraw some of our troops.

Unless, of course, the goal is to maintain the current levels of troops indefinitely.