Pirate's Cove

Wow, this has got to hurt the USA Today to print, especially on Page A1

The number of truck bombs and other large al-Qaeda-style attacks in Iraq have declined nearly 50% since the United States started increasing troop levels in Iraq about six months ago, according to the U.S. military command in Iraq.

The high-profile attacks — generally large bombs hitting markets, mosques or other "soft" targets that produce mass casualties — have dropped to about 70 in July from a high during the past year of about 130 in March, according to the Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Military officers say the decline reflects progress in damaging al-Qaeda’s networks in Iraq. The military has launched offensives around Baghdad aimed at al-Qaeda sanctuaries and bases.

"The enemy had the initiative and the momentum in ’06," said Jack Keane, a retired general who is a chief architect of the increase in troop levels and mentor to Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. "We’ve got it now."

Obviously, that is still too many attacks, but, sure looks like the Surge is working. But, hey, let’s cut and run anyhow. We wouldn’t want to make the Muslim extremists mad by fighting them, right?

Captain Ed

What happens when General Petraeus comes to Congress with these numbers? It will show that the new strategy has, in the words of Keane, shifted the initiative and the momentum to the US. We have found a way to beat the terrorists — and we had better continue to do so. Congress will find it very difficult to retreat from Iraq while we’re succeeding.

Meanwhile, Hot Air points to an article from the NY Times, which states that, since the partial withdrawal from Basra by the Brits has been disastarous, withdraw completely.

Trackposted to Right Pundits, Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Committees of Correspondence, Mark My Words, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Right Truth, Big Dog’s Weblog, DragonLady’s World, The Pet Haven Blog, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, third world county, Wake Up America, The World According to Carl, Wyvern dreams, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.