Do casualty figures tell the story of whether Iraq is becoming more stable, or not?

I'll have to listen to the part of the show that I missed. I was wondering if Wilkerson had any thoughts about the effects of al-Sadr's suspension of offensive ops - but I sent the question to the producer.

Thanks, Julia.

Glad you did, Diana, and I'll post a link to the archive audio when it is available.

Of course not Julia. Just as it was in Afghanistan when the US thought we were doing good was when the Afghani Taliban went home for lunch.

The Shiite folks have gone home for lunch. When the US leaves then they'll show up again.

Has the US won any ground in Iraq?

No the other side see no reason to fight any more.

The problem. Understand that this is a religious fight for those that live in the Mideast but we keep calling them terrorists. We in the US still don't understand those we call our enemy, as we think they are terrorists and they are religious folk that want to keep their religion.

Therefore, that war currently is useless, as the US doesn't understand the enemy.

I think it's much too early to tell. If the incidents of violence keep going down and things begin stabilizing, perhaps. However, the government still has not done anything it needs to do. Also a good indicator would be if those either internally displaced or who fled to other countries find it safe enough to return home.

I disagree with Richard that someone who straps on a suicide belt and blows himself up along with a dozen or two of his neighbors isn't a terrorist but is merely a religious guy wanting to keep his religion.

The indicators would be life returning to normal, an end to the sectarian violence which the Iraqi government now says is over. I put about as much faith in that as I do in "mission accomplished."

It's just too early to tell. I know the bobble-heads want to believe that this is the turn around they have been praying for, but things could change in a day over there. Remember too that sectarian violence and Al-Qaida have different goals and different methodology and time tables. The bobble-heads could be right. They could be wrong. Best thing is to wait and see and keep our fingers crossed.

Sometimes I think Julia that because violence is a fundamental part of the Islamic religion that it would be a better idea if the US just and let the Shea and the Sunni just kill off each other as that's what they really want to do anyway.

And then later at some point in time the Islamic people might just decide that the fundamental part of their religion which says that they need to kill off those that don't believe so they can spread their religion into the rest of the world isn't such a good idea after all.

Maybe. We are pulling out a batallion from the "surge" and it looks like the radical Islamists may be moving their show to Pakistan.

Just what the Democrats don't need or want, success in Iraq! Damn that war, especially if we are winning. Especially that close to election day.

Funny. I know a lot of Democrats, and I don't know a single one who wouldn't love to see the war end successfully tomorrow. That's simply wishful thinking and smear tactics on the part of many Republicans. What Democrats objected to was a war without an exit OR a win strategy. Only a few of the bobble-heads will still contend that Mr. Bush had either when he went in.