Success In Iraq

As always Frederick Kagan has a must read piece in today's Weekly Standard looking at the hows and whys of our massive successes in recent months and where we go from from here. AQ is defeated in Iraq and the splintered cells are being cleaned up quickly as the people have rejected them and their ideology. As a direct result of this the Shia militias are laying down their arms as well and cooperating with the government. The cycle of violence could always spin back up but I really don't think the people want that, they are tired of it and just want to get back to their lives.

America has won an important battle in the war on terror. We turned an imminent victory for Al Qaeda In Iraq into a humiliating defeat for them and thereby created an opportunity for further progress not only in Iraq, but also in the global struggle. In the past five months, terrorist operations in and around Baghdad have dropped by 59 percent. Car bomb deaths are down by 81 percent. Casualties from enemy attacks dropped 77 percent. And violence during the just-completed season of Ramadan--traditionally a peak of terrorist attacks--was the lowest in three years.

Winning a battle is not the same as winning a war. Our commanders and soldiers are continuing the fight to ensure that al Qaeda does not recover even as they turn their attention to the next battle: against Shia militias sponsored by Iran. Beyond Iraq, battles in Afghanistan and elsewhere demand our attention. But let us properly take stock of what has been accomplished.