Sharp Drop Seen in US Deaths in Iraq

DuH2 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 03:34 PM

Quote:

By STEVEN R. HURST
Associated Press Writer

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.

Lynch, who commands the 3rd Infantry Division and once served as the military spokesman in Baghdad, is a tireless cheerleader of the American effort in Iraq. But the death toll over the past two months appears to reinforce his optimism. The question, of course: Will it last?

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.

Part of the trend can be seen in a volatile and violent band of lush agricultural land on Baghdad's southern border.

The commander of the battle zone - Lt. Col. Val Keaveny, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry (Airborne) - said his unit has lost only one soldier in the past four months despite intensified operations against both Shiite and Sunni extremists, including powerful al-Qaida in Iraq cells.

Keaveny attributes the startling decline to a decrease in attacks by militants who are being rounded up in big numbers on information provided by the citizen force - which has literally doubled the number of eyes and ears available to the military.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

Good news for the USA...bad news for the Far Left/Anti-War types.

With the undeniable progress being made..the anti-surge folks have been proven wrong.

The most obvious way to recognize the progres being made as well as the floundering of the Far Left/anti-war types for an excuse to run away is the deafening silence on Iraq.

Mack · #2 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 03:41 PM

The surge has nothing to do with the Iraqi people getting pissed off and finally doing something to fight insurgents on their own. Iraq is getting better in spite of the surge, not because of it. We are still basically policing a civil war, except now the side we prefer is starting to win. Get some of our troops out of the way, and let the Iraqis decide the fate of their own country. If Iran or Turkey messes with any success in Iraq, then we can step in.

MasterFletch · #3 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 03:54 PM

Well let's all just agree that lower deaths among troops for us and our allies is excellent news

crestwood33 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mack";p=&quot

The surge has nothing to do with the Iraqi people getting pissed off and finally doing something to fight insurgents on their own. Iraq is getting better in spite of the surge, not because of it. We are still basically policing a civil war, except now the side we prefer is starting to win. Get some of our troops out of the way, and let the Iraqis decide the fate of their own country. If Iran or Turkey messes with any success in Iraq, then we can step in.

Good news is hard to find over there, sometimes it is manufactured sometimes it isn't

DuH2 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-23-2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Iraq is getting better in spite of the surge

Denial of reality.

Facts are facts..the surge has had a notable and undeniable effect.
You guys where WRONG.

Civil Wars are not fought between gangs. Iraqis even reject the manufactured Civil War.
"Insurgents"..fine whatever... Terrorists with pedigrees..

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