...Since the end of major combat in Iraq.

Not painfree, to be sure, and certainly not the end of all combat. Americans have died from hostile action since then, and we still have active enemies.

But progress is being made too.

From an article today by Donald Rumsfeld:

• Today, in Iraq, virtually all major hospitals and universities have been re-opened, and hundreds of secondary schools--until a few months ago used as weapons caches--have been rebuilt and were ready for the start of the fall semester.

• 56,000 Iraqis have been armed and trained in just a few months, and are contributing to the security and defense of their country. Today, a new Iraqi Army is being trained and more than 40,000 Iraqi police are conducting joint patrols with Coalition forces. By contrast, it took 14 months to establish a police force in post-war Germany--and 10 years to begin training a new German Army.

• As security improves, so does commerce: 5,000 small businesses have opened since liberation on May 1. An independent Iraqi Central Bank was established and a new currency announced in just two months--accomplishments that took three years in postwar Germany.

• The Iraqi Governing Council has been formed and has appointed a cabinet of ministers--something that took 14 months in Germany.

• In major cities and most towns and villages, municipal councils have been formed and are making decisions about local matters--something that took eight months in Germany.

• The Coalition has completed 6,000 civil affairs projects--with many more under way.

All this, and more, has taken place in less than five months.

Rumsfeld uses Germany as one example. We didn't return Japan to self-rule for seven years after the end of WWII.