Drop in Baghdad violence sustainable: general

Source: Reuters

Drop in Baghdad violence sustainable: general
Wed Nov 7, 2007 8:58am EST

By Dean Yates

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A reduction in violence in Baghdad
over the past few months represents a sustainable trend
that will allow fewer U.S. troops to protect the Iraqi
capital, a top American general said on Wednesday.

Major-General Joseph Fil, commander of U.S. forces in
Baghdad, said al Qaeda in Iraq no longer had a foothold
in any part of the city of 7 million people. The group
is blamed for most big car bombings that have killed
thousands.

Death squad killings in Baghdad were also down 80
percent from their peak while roadside bombings had
fallen 70 percent, Fil told foreign reporters without
giving specific timeframes.

"I think there is going to come a day when certainly we
will need less coalition troops in Baghdad," Fil said.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSYAT74042620071107

Oops, forgot! Brown-skinned ferners. Nevermind.

http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/10/30/News/Perspective.killing.Yourself-3065102.shtml

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2206215,00.html

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.murders26oct26,0,4602837.story?coll=bal_sports_horseracing_xpromo

We lose over ten times more young adults to murder than we do to war.

They probably lose ten times to murder what we do (the murder rate in Baghdad is roughly 10x what it was during Saddam).

They're fairly realistic accounts of what goes on in those parts of the city we don't visit.

I actually agree with you, and of course am making a rhetorical point that's not valid in most of America, but in certain pockets of our big cities, I'd say Baghdad has nothing on us...and it's been like that for a very long time.

Similar to comparing our military losses to auto accident victims.

Scurrilous, stupid, and disgusting.

Not really, but it makes about as much sense as your comment.

and all of the Iraqi refugees come home. Without U.S. Troops on every street corner things will go downhill fast. These people don't forget. They've carried grudges for centuries. Does this brilliant General think that they'll just forget about everything, let bygones be bygones and live in peace and harmony for ever and ever? :rofl:

This is the kind of short-sighted bullshit that got us into this situation in the first place. This guy is a Major General, huh? Sounds more like a major dim-wit to me. As soon as American Troops come home the insurgents will come out of hiding and start the entire bloody process over again. They don't forget.

in the future if the downturn in violence keeps up, but betcha dollars to donuts there will be no more than token withdrawals until 2009 (maybe to pre-surge levels, at best). We're not going anywhere, no matter WHAT happens. They're just hoping that things stay on a low simmer so that the American people forget about it and stop demanding an end to the war.