[Southack]

The insurgents peaked in November of 2004 (the timing was no coincidence). They rallied, but not to that level, in January of this year.

They've been unable to match their earlier damage, which points to their inability to recruit local Iraqis to their cause.

Keep in mind that Iraqis voted at 60% of the population in their January 2005 election, 63% in their October 2005 vote, and 70+% in their election this month...which is to say that the Iraqis are choosing a side, and it isn't the side of the insurgency.

The voting percentage trend on our side makes the above statement just as powerfully as the decline in insurgency lethality does for the other side.

Military Fatalities: By Month

Period	US	UK	Other*	Total	Avg	Days
12-2005	46	0	0	46	2.09	22
11-2005	84	1	1	86	2.87	30
10-2005	96	2	1	99	3.19	31
9-2005	49	3	0	52	1.73	30
8-2005	85	0	0	85	2.74	31
7-2005	54	3	1	58	1.87	31
6-2005	78	1	4	83	2.77	30
5-2005	80	2	6	88	2.84	31
4-2005	52	0	0	52	1.73	30
3-2005	36	1	3	40	1.29	31
2-2005	58	0	2	60	2.14	28
1-2005	107	10	10	127	4.1	31
12-2004	72	1	3	76	2.45	31
11-2004	137	4	0	141	4.7	30
10-2004	63	2	2	67	2.16	31
9-2004	80	3	4	87	2.9	30
8-2004	66	4	5	75	2.42	31
7-2004	54	1	3	58	1.87	31
6-2004	42	1	7	50	1.67	30
5-2004	80	0	4	84	2.71	31
4-2004	135	0	5	140	4.67	30
3-2004	52	0	0	52	1.68	31
2-2004	20	1	2	23	0.79	29
1-2004	47	5	0	52	1.68	31
12-2003	40	0	8	48	1.55	31
11-2003	82	1	27	110	3.67	30
10-2003	44	1	2	47	1.52	31
9-2003	31	1	1	33	1.1	30
8-2003	35	6	2	43	1.39	31
7-2003	48	1	0	49	1.58	31
6-2003	30	6	0	36	1.2	30
5-2003	37	4	0	41	1.32	31
4-2003	74	6	0	80	2.67	30
3-2003	65	27	0	92	7.67	12
Total	2159	98	103	2360	2.34	1009

[Dog]

Cap Huff and I were discussing recently how quiet Zarqawi has become not a peep in over a month...seems he went dark right after that Mosul raid...in which it was thought he was whacked.

[MikefromOhio]

yep it was really hairy for a bit when I returned from my vacation in November.

But let's also remember that the Marines cleared out Fallujah again in November, right after the election, so the numbers might be spiked a bit.