That's what Blog of the Week--rapidly turning into Blog of the Spring--Jules Crittenden says, anyway:

… we can win in Iraq, we are winning in Iraq, and George Bush’s surge strategy is responsible for it. Not even the AP can ignore it* anymore:

The US military has captured the leaders of a car-bombing ring blamed for killing hundreds of Iraqis.

The news came as the departing US ambassador said Americans are in ongoing talks with insurgent representatives to try to persuade them to turn against al-Qaeda.

It is noteworthy, though the AP can’t quite bring itself to note it, that the anti-al-Qaeda Sunni insurgents have advanced beyond the Democratic congressional leadership in their thinking:

Khalilzad said the talks have shifted from “unreasonable demands” by the groups for a US withdrawal to forming an alliance against al-Qaeda. He said the effort has gained support among tribal leaders and even some insurgents.

“Iraqis are uniting against al-Qaeda,” he said.

It's been reported on and off for a long time that Sunni insurgents are turning against al Qaeda. Armed clashes between the two groups have been reported from time to time.

I do think the surge is showing results, but our concern, as always, is that the kind of violence that the terrorists in Iraq rely on--car bombs, etc.--is easy enough to carry out that if the standard of success in Iraq is an absence of violence, it may never be satisfied despite our best efforts.

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Posted by John at 10:24 AM  |    |