[ChessExpert]

The surge is working. AQI is being marginalized and reduced in Iraq. More neighborhoods are being controlled by either US forces or Iraqi forces. There are more handovers from US to Iraqi forces. The surge only reached its full strength last summer. These things take time. Prior to the US surge, AQI had the initiative and momentum. That is the way war works sometimes. Sorry it is not as simple as building a house.

I suggest you read Michael Yon or Michale Totten. They are permanently embedded reporters in Iraq. They don't have the liberal, anti-american, anti-military mindset common in the mainstream media.

By the way, US casualties are dropping with the surge. For the war as a whole, US casualties are on a par with homicides in NY city for the same time frame (five years). Back when Democrats ran the city, homicides were about four times higher. It’s hard to have perspective, when we have a one party press.

[patch789]

to post 35.

I realize causualties are down.
here is a handy listing.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_casualties.htm

It just seems like Bush threw his presidency away,
for the Iraq occupation ...
Republicans lose Congress.
the 2008 Republicans running for president
are dreadful (only one I liked is Fred)

with the money spent on the war, we could have
built enough ‘coal-to-liquids’ synthetic fuel
plants, to cover US petroleum use.
very sad.