You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
Sharp Drop Seen in US Deaths in Iraq
2007-10-24
The news is so good even the AP can't ignore it.
BAGHDAD (AP) — October is on course to record the second consecutive decline in U.S. military and Iraqi civilian deaths and Americans commanders say they know why: the U.S. troop increase and an Iraqi groundswell against al-Qaida and Shiite militia extremists.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch points to what the military calls "Concerned Citizens" — both Shiites and Sunnis who have joined the American fight. He says he's signed up 20,000 of them in the past four months. "I've never been more optimistic than I am right now with the progress we've made in Iraq. The only people who are going to win this counterinsurgency project are the people of Iraq. We've said that all along. And now they're coming forward in masses," Lynch said in a recent interview at a U.S. base deep in hostile territory south of Baghdad. Outgoing artillery thundered as he spoke.

As of Tuesday, the Pentagon reported 28 U.S. military deaths in October. That's an average of about 1.2 deaths a day. The toll on U.S troops hasn't been this low since March 2006, when 31 soldiers died — an average of one death a day. In September, 65 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq.
Posted by:Steve White

#11  Wow, don't scare me Chuck, I thought that was the stock I bought last month.
Posted by: wxjames   2007-10-24 18:39  

#10  This makes me very happy. I hope it continues.
Posted by: Ebbomotch Grundy6052   2007-10-24 13:44  

#9  
recent US combat loss numbers graphed for Iraq
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2007-10-24 12:30  

#8  This already happens a lot with individuals

That's very good to know, Lord Piltdown. (I love the nym!!)
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-10-24 11:52  

#7  A prediction: We will soon see AQ beasts giving themselves up en masse to American troops to keep from falling into the hands of vengeful Iraqis.
This already happens a lot with individuals, but I am talking whole cells and gangs at one time.
Posted by: Lord Piltdown   2007-10-24 11:03  

#6  New ROE works.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-10-24 09:02  

#5  Based on Osama's squealing like a stuck pig and calling for reinforcements to throw themselves on the fire, I would suggest that times ain't so good for AQI.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-10-24 08:52  

#4  Still more important. Second half of Ramadan was during October and Ramadan is the month where jihadists ever try to make a special effort and despite this there is a sharp drop in what they have been able to do.
Posted by: JFM   2007-10-24 07:04  

#3  "They have to be convinced that we're not leaving. That's the issue. If they were to think we're leaving we'd have also sorts of trouble," Lynch said

So he understands the Donk strategy, but I'm pretty sure he said "we'd have all sorts of trouble". That's the difference between a proofreader and an editor, I guess.
Posted by: Bobby   2007-10-24 06:19  

#2  And it's a AP report, too. Perhaps a flying pig graphic would be appropriate.
Posted by: Albert Ulinegum4847   2007-10-24 04:09  

#1  I give you my "willing suspension of disbelief",
General Petreus.
Really!
Posted by: CIC Hillary Clinton   2007-10-24 00:47  

00:00