The Surge Is Over

It is Done

It's official! The last of the 5 additional combat brigades sent to Iraq in 2007 has redeployed says the military. While the additional troops isn't the sole reason for improvements in Iraq, it was crucial in providing stability. The statistics speak for themselves:

Graphical analysis of attacks, w/peak in June 2007

For a little bit of context, let's look at then (early 2007) and now (mid-2008):

• Then:Chlorine car bombs in Fallujah...
• Now:KFC in Fallujah
• Then:Anti-Al Qaeda Sheiks assassinated in Baghdad's Mansour hotel...
• Now:Tourism forum in Baghdad's Mansour hotel
• Then:One of the worst months in U.S Fatalities (126 in May 2007)...
• Now:The least worst month (19 in May 2008)
• Then:Al-Askari Mosque has minarets destroyed by terrorists...
• Now:Mosque being rebuilt
• Then:Moqtada al-Sadr considered a powerful cleric in Iraq with backing of the Mahdi Army...
• Now:Who the fuck is Sadr?
• Then:NY Times Op-Ed that suggestgs things are going well in Iraq is incredibly controversial...
• Now:American media only talks about Iraq if Obama shows up