Iraq Makes Steady Gains over al-Qaeda

Cal Thomas | Syndicated Columnist | Published: May 23, 2008

Iraq Makes Steady Gains over al-Qaeda


May 26, 2008

Bad news for those who had hoped failure in Iraq would bring success for them at the polls; good news for everyone else, which is most of the country and certainly our troops in Iraq. 

The army’s interim commander in Iraq, Lt. General Martin Dempsey, says al-Qaeda appears to be at its weakest state since it gained an initial foothold five years ago. In an interview with the Associated Press, General Dempsey acknowledged that al-Qaeda remains a relentless foe and a serious threat to stability, but he said accelerated pressure from U.S. and Iraqi forces has paid big dividends.

In testimony before congressional committees last week, outgoing Commander General David Petraeus said, “The number of security incidents in Iraq last week was the lowest in over four years and it appears that the week (just ended) will see an even lower number of incidents.” Increasingly, Iraqis are stepping up and taking control of more of their own country, which is also excellent news.

Anyone notice the gloom and doom defeatists saying something positive in the face of such news? Of course not. They are invested in failure.


Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.

Iraq Makes Steady Gains over al-Qaeda