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October 23, 2007
Earth to Media: The 'Failed" Surge is Succeeding
Rick Moran
Joe Biden came back from Iraq and said "The Surge has failed." Harry Reid didn't even wait for the troops to arrive in Iraq before saying that "The Surge has failed." Even some Republicans have said "The Surge has failed." The media almost as one said back in July and August that "The Surge has failed."
I wonder if anyone in the media will note that they were wrong?
Violence in Iraq has dropped by 70 percent since the end of June, when U.S. forces completed their build-up of 30,000 extra troops to stabilize the war-torn country, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry released the new figures as bomb blasts in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul killed five people and six gunmen died in clashes with police in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala south of the Iraqi capital.
Washington began dispatching reinforcements to Iraq in February to try to buy Iraq's feuding political leaders time to reach a political accommodation to end violence between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs that has killed tens of thousands and forced millions from their homes.
While the leaders have failed to agree on key laws aimed at reconciling the country's warring sects, the troop buildup has succeeded in quelling violence. As for those the Iraqi government's responsibility, the point is well taken that they have failed to take the bull by the horns and hash out the political compromises necessary to achieve any kind of reconciliation.
But there are other signs - positive signs - that reconciliation is happening from the ground up with Sunni insurgents laying down their arms to support the government against al-Qaeda and Shia militias making peace in the south for much the same reason.
There are still massive problems to address and not everything can be accomplished outside of the government. But compared to what the situation was at the beginning of the year, prospects for a stable Iraq have grown considerably.
And it is due to the dedication and professionalism of the United States Army who have adjusted their tactics and strategy to the point that the defeat of an enemy that held the country in the grip of fear is nearly realized.
The naysayers may yet prove correct. But there are may signs pointing to an improving situation which is reason enough for optimism.
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