Posted on 11/21/2007 6:13:06 PM PST by RDTF
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
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
The Dems need to come up with a better plan for defeat fast.
ROFL!
They're working on it 24/7 for political purposes in real time....
Good Post! BTTT
Bush's fault.
The momentum is such that the media and the Democrats are now powerless to derail it as they were doing in the past.
Iraq is alive and out of ICU. :-D
Israel would be one of the best allies Iraq could chose.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones, jveritas.
bttt
Actually casualties are down to around 40 per month and will fall from that. The War is Ending in Victory!
Happy Thanksgiving to Our Troops
NEVER FORGET!
“I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and - you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows - (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday,” Harry Reid,
April. 19, 2007
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