Because this is a New York Slimes article, rest assured that things in Baghdad are even better than this article reluctantly says they are. My Iraqi and American friends there confirm that.
I was in Baghdad while our boys and girls were cleaning out Dora, which at the time was a close second to Sadr City in terms of being a violent sinkhole. Man, the sound of 500lb bombs detonating is pretty sobering. One night, while phoning my wife back in the US, a barrage began and I ran outside to see what was up. Man, the sky above Dora looked like an intense thunderstorm was going on. The sheer power you could feel as the bombs detonated was mind blowing — and I was a good distance away. I remember thinking, “Man, I’m glad I’m not under that!” Now, a little more than a year later and the blast walls are coming down. Incredible! Thank you, GI Joe and Jane. Thank you, Mr. President and the Congressmen who stood by your side. Thank you, General Petraeus. Thank you, to the Iraqis who grew balls and stood up to the Democrat and Old Media-enabled terrorist swine who wanted to destroy their nation.