More Bad News For Jihadi's and Democrats

September Murders Way Down in Iraq:


Somehow moveon.org, the mediamatters media and Keith Olbermann missed this one... accidentally I'm sure.

Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20071010-05

October 10, 2007

Killings decline in western Baghdad neighborhood
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – After more than 20 months of violent insurgent activity, September marked the first month that there were no murders within the western Ameriya neighborhood of the Iraqi capital.

“Murder has been an effective insurgent tactic in Ameriya and groups like al-Qaeda have capitalized on it as a method to terrorize the local populace,” said 2nd Lt. Evan Howell, a staff officer with 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, who, together with Iraqi Security Forces, provides security for the area.

“Earlier this year we were recording almost two a day and since late 2005 murder events were as commonplace as buying groceries in Ameriya.”

And there is also THIS REPORT from central command...

BAGHDAD-10/06/07 The surge of additional U.S. forces into Iraq continues to improve circumstances for the Iraqi government, a Joint Staff spokesman said.

The trends in Iraq are encouraging, said Army Maj. Gen. Richard Sherlock, a Joint Staff spokesman. Overall violence in the country is down to level it was at before the Golden Mosque bombing in Samarra in February 2006.

Al Qaeda in Iraq fanned sectarian fires in Iraq with the dramatic attack. But now, car bombs, improvised–explosive-device attacks, civilian deaths, and attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces are all down.

“Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces have been able to respond effectively to the violence during this Ramadan season, and al Qaeda and other extremist groups are losing support due to their indiscriminate targeting of civilians,” Sherlock said.

Much remains to be done, however. Civilian deaths are still too high, and the Iraqi government must continue to improve basic services to all its citizens, he said.

The number of American servicemembers in Iraq has started to drop, with 2,200 Marines from 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit redeploying from Anbar province and not being replaced. If the security situation holds and improves, all five surge brigades will be out of Iraq by summer 2008, the general said.

Still, the situation in Iraq remains difficult. “We have many insurgent groups in Iraq: it’s not a simple Sunni or Shiia or other group insurgency,” he said. “There are also a lot of criminal activities that go on in Iraq; there are a variety of foreign fighters in Iraq.”

While the media-matters media and Democrats cling to defeat, the surge keeps surging, Al Qaeda keeps losing and retreating while Iraq marches toward democracy and freedom.
Good stuff.
-red