...to Taji:

"(The Taji Awakening) involves all the sheiks (in Taji), both Sunni and Shi'a. Over the period of four weeks now, it has gathered momentum," Burke said. "The movement here has become dynamic."

He said that the largest gathering of Sunni and Shi'a sheiks in Iraq occurred on Aug. 20 in the Taji area and that the terrorist forces in the area are now "on the run" because of the sectarian reconciliation. As a result, the overall quality of life in rural North Baghdad Province has improved, with marketplaces "flourishing" and critical infrastructure needs being met, according to Burke.

I've commented before about the evolution of cooperation, and its potential role in Iraq. It seems, finally, to be happening. Bad news for those who have been fully invested in an American defeat, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hmm. Awfully quiet in here. You'd think the reality-based community would be coming out of the woodwork right now, demonstrating with hardcore facts the futility of your argument.

*chirpchirp*

Nothing to see here. Move(On) along, now.

Oh, the reality based community is responding elsewhere. I just saw a thread at Captain's Quarters describing the drop in casualties, and the pro-defeat crowd is all over this.

The only reason casualties have dropped is because we're using air power more than ground forces, and all the Sunnis have been killed or ethnically cleansed, and Petraus is violating his own counterinsurgency policies, and as soon as we leave they're all going to fight again (the dead Sunnis and the Shi'ites), and Iraq is now in the hands of illiterate, Iran-loving fanatics.

So as you can see, our success is proof of our total failure.

Re: Tom W.'s comment - I'm reminded of a comment I read or saw on TV somewhere many years ago made by a former World War II POW. He said all the news of the war his fellow POWs heard from the Germans was propaganda about victorious German forces winning this battle and that battle. However, he and his fellow POWs couldn't help noticing that the battles the Germans were "winning" kept creeping closer and closer to the heart of Germany. That told the POWs all they needed to know about which direction the war was really going and who was really winning.

Tom W.,

"So as you can see, our success is proof of our total failure."

Indeed. This is only natural given that one of the Left's guiding principles is, "The absence of evidence for a conspiracy is all the more reason to believe one exists."

I hope pro-freedom forces "win" soon enough that Ron Paul can be discussed for other reasons than leaving Iraq.

I already think that leaving by the end of 2008 won't result in any big Killing Fields.