Why the violence has declined in Iraq

The Long War Journal ^ | 11/8/2007 | Bill Ardolino

[jveritas]

Excellent analysis however I will be not be as cautious and say that from all practical military reasons Al Qaeda has been utterly defeated in Iraq.

[prognostigaator]

^^^^

[patriciaruth]

from all practical military reasons Al Qaeda has been utterly defeated in Iraq.

Thank you, Lord of Creation, King of the Universe, for Thy tender mercies.

[jveritas]

Amen.

[donmeaker]

The strategy all along was a combination of “Tough Love” to get the Iraqi Arabs to step up to their responsibilities and “Flypaper” to collect wannabe jihadis from all over the middle east, so they could be killed (with the help of our Iraqi allies) to relieve the pressure on the more moderate middle east governments.

In Iraq, to Iraqis, the jihadis are foreigners and stick out. The jihadis can thus be marked for destruction in a way that they can not in their home countries.

Thanks, Don Rumsfeld. You have done us a noble service.

[PGalt]

Very good article. Thanks for posting.

[mtntop3]

Seems to be a good summing-up. May the progress continue. It’s obviously no time to cut-and-run, as if there ever were in Iraq.

[SWEETSUNNYSOUTH]

Please forward this article to Pelosi, Reid.....

[cookcounty]

"The drop began in September, as civilian deaths (884) fell 52 percent from August and 77 percent year-over-year,.."

Bear in mind that Saddam's regime was responsible for 2 million deaths in the region over 27 years,-----that's 6,200 a month, for 27 years---a condition preferred by many so-called "peace activists."