I've also been tracking the Mahdis getting their asses kicked over the past three months. The "standdown" was not exactly voluntary, although Sadr is trying to pretend it is. He has a tradition of going "political" after he doesn't have a choice any more.

Incidentally, the Shiite Iraqis in the south are shoving Sadr's Iranian-paid goons aside the same way the western and northern Iraqis are dumping al Qaeda.

And I'm tracking the Democratic/media attempt to try and sell the idea that the recent violence reduction across the board has nothing whatsoever to do with the new military strategies. After all, that's where you got that talking point from, isn't it?

If Iraq succeeds, the American leftists will do the same thing they did after the Cold War: after backing the other side for years, pathetically pretend that the eventual victory had nothing to do with any actions on our side.