The Successful Surge?

The surge is working at least thats what I was told.

Iraq's government released statistics on the number of civilians and security force members it said were killed in 2007.

According to figures released Monday by the Iraqi government, 16,232 civilians, 432 soldiers and about 1,300 Iraqi policeman died in 2007. The previous year, according to the figures compiled by the health, defense and interior ministries, 12,371 civilians, 603 soldiers and 1,224 policeman were killed.

The government's figures were roughly in line with a count kept by The Associated Press, which found that 18,610 Iraqis were killed in 2007. In 2006, the only other full year an AP count has been tallied, 13,813 died.

If you still believe the corner has been turned in Iraq you are fooling yourself. Even if the surge was successful it would be just a temporary stopping of the violence. Until there is political reconciliation, there will be no peace. It's like putting 10 cops on the street corner where drugs are sold. Sure they will stop selling drugs but as soon as you leave they dealers will be right back UNLESS you have done some education or outreach which may change the underlying reasons that people turn to selling drugs. That type of political outreach has been absent from the situation in Iraq. We are an occupying force not an agent for change.