How They Did It - Executing the winning strategy in Iraq.

Kimberly Kagan of the Weekly Standard has chronicled in detail the remarkable--and often overlooked--progress our troops have made in Iraq since June. She notes that the number of enemy attacks has fallen for four consecutive months; Iraqi civilian casualties have dropped by more than half; and the number of allied soldiers who have been killed in action "is now at the lowest level since February 2004." . . . "The theater-wide offensives were meant to buy time for the government of Iraq to develop the institutions of governance. The fragmentation of Al Qaeda in Iraq, extremist militias, and secret cells has only just happened. The opportunity to negotiate a political settlement now belongs to the government of Iraq. It is too soon to know what the Iraqis will do. But clearly, this skillful military operation has created new realities on the ground." . . . [Read More] Kimberly Kagan is president of the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, D.C., and an affiliate of the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University.

Hat tip to Tony Perkins' Washington Update for the above lead. Tony Perkins added, "Our troops have moved swiftly to create a newfound sense of security and stability in the region, and, in so doing, opened the doors to civil dialogue about Iraq's political future. We continue to pray God's blessings and protection on those who have worked tirelessly--and thanklessly--to carry out their mission despite the ideological divide at home. On the battlefield, America has historically had the courage and resolve to fight for what is right against tyranny because it had the moral courage to do what was right at home. As we honor our fallen heroes, America must renew its commitment to give our brave soldiers our unstinting thanks and undivided praise."

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