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U.S. Rep. John Murtha today said he saw signs of military progress during a brief trip to Iraq last week, but he warned that Iraqis need to play a larger role in providing their own security and the Bush administration still must develop an exit strategy. "I think the 'surge' is working," the Democrat said in a videoconference from his Johnstown office, describing the president's decision to commit more than 20,000 additional combat troops this year. But the Iraqis "have got to take care of themselves." Violence has dropped significantly in recent months, but Mr. Murtha said he was most encouraged by changes in the once-volatile Anbar province, where locals have started working closely with U.S. forces to isolate insurgents linked to Al Qaeda.When the symbol of defeatism in Congress does a 180 degree turnaround, you know something is up. Of course, all of Murtha's anti-war diatribes received glowing coverage in the national media since the Congressman (and his supporters) expertly played the "absolute moral authority" card, playing up Murtha's former Marine Corps service.