"We are now, essentially, back to the level of violence we saw in 2004 and 2005. And, if you remember, at the time that was considered pretty bad."

So, I'm sure the Bush Pro-War fascists will spin this in some kind of positive light.

Here is the wikipedia definition of fascism:

Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and social interests subordinate to the interests of the state or party. Fascists seek to forge a type of national unity, usually based on (but not limited to) ethnic, cultural, racial, and RELIGIOUS attributes. Various scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: nationalism, statism, militarism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, CORPORATISM, populism, collectivism, and opposition to political and economic liberalism.

Sound familiar?

User Greg's comments re 'Bush Pro-War fascists' is an ignorant statement providing information only as to the constricted state of his mind and personality. Error #1 is to ascribe all support of the Iraqi war effort to President Bush. Listen up Greg, You are the fascist -- you consider my individual interest subordinate to the interests of you and your party. I certainly am not seeking any unity with you. Quit making stupid statements that only reflect your extreme personal bias. You are full of it. I will be fighting for freedom and democracy while you are ranting and raving solely as a release for your emotions, certainly not for any intellectual contribution.

I wonder why they forgot about the Fraud. For example, U.S. paid $32 million for an Iraqi base never built, and that IRAQ is in the top 3 of all countries when it comes to fraud.

Everyone is on the take, i.e. everyone is living off the fruits of YOUR LABOR via your tax dollars. Billions of your tax dollars are going into this illegal occupation and it will continue for decades, just like Korea.

Ron Paul is right, we protect the borders of IRAQ and other countries, yet, we don't protect our own borders.
Why have there been over a million views of this video, Ron Paul: Stop Dreaming
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWfIhFhelm8&feature=related

David said, I will be fighting for freedom and democracy while you are ranting and raving solely as a release for your emotions, certainly not for any intellectual contribution."

Does that mean you will be fighting for Democracy, the rule of the majority over the minority, i.e. the mob, or will you be fighting for the Republic, i.e, representative government as stated in the constituion and the Bill of Rights. Do you know the difference?

Quick Ethel... grab the sunscreen were going Iraq!!!

2006 September-US Congress and Senate approve the Military Commissions Act, which authorizes torture and strips non-US citizen detainees suspected of terrorist ties of the right of habeas corpus (which includes formal charges, counsel and hearings). It also empowers US presidents at their discretion to declare US citizens as enemy combatants and subject to detention without charge or due process.

October-John Warner Defense Authorization Act is passed. The act allows a president to declare a public emergency and station US military troops anywhere in America
as well as take control of state based national guard units without consent of the governor or other local authorities. The law authorizes presidential deployment of US troops to round-up and etain “potential terrorists”, “illegal aliens” and “disorderly” citizenry.

2007-May-National Security Presidential Directive 51 (NSPD-51) establishes a new post-disaster plan (with disaster defined as any incident, natural or man-made, resulting in extraordinary mass casualties, damage or disruption) which places the president in charge of all three branches of government. The directive overrides the National Emergencies Act which gives Congress power to determine the duration of a national emergency.

"which places the president in charge of all three branches of government."

How is this different then a distatorship?

Are we to suspend reality and believe that a mere 28,000 extra troops are all it took to solve Iraq? If this is actually the case, Bush should be impeached for stupidity, and General Zinni should run for the presidency, he was right four years ago.

Greg, It does sound familiar! Chavez is a good example. There's many examples. I believe you are referring to Bush, but even by that definition, the accusation is thin at best. Now when you start looking at collectivism and some people's plans for a "non-socialist" mandate for health care that panders to mandatory health insurance to be carried by every citizen of the US regardless of their own decision to have it or not, well... then I can see where you might be going...

I love how laws enacted to protect us during period of national emergency are seen as an attempt at dictatorial control, yet, no one cares that the democrats are openly espousing socialized government controlled healthcare, corporate control by government based entities, and "wealth redistribution" (which is the equalization of wealth regardless of one's personal success or failure). Yet no one seems even remotely concerned that this is right off the blueprints for society under the communist manifesto..

4,000 of America’s finest killed in combat; 30,000 of America’s finest injured and/or maimed; and by some international estimates – 600,000+ Iraqi civilian deaths (men, women, and children). This administration announced “Mission Accomplished” on May 1st, 2003. Saddam was captured on December 13th, 2003. Osama Bin Laden continues to send America annual online greeting cards. This illegal war began on March 3rd, 2003 and today King George announces that his “surge” is working in spite of the fact that there is virtually no end to the occupation in site. Any attempts to spin a hollow victory from this human catastrophe are futile. This administration should be charged with crimes against the Constitution, We The People, and Human Rights. Nice job Bushie.

OK DEMs you had better hurry up and surrender before this Iraq thing is a mute point. Time is running out.

harry, Time is running out fast. The democrats promised they would deliver our defeat in Iraq to the terrorists by now. Even Osama Bin Laden has voiced his displeasure in them for not keeping up their part of the bargain. He's doing everything he can, but needs their help and they are failing. Of course, the democrats have admitted that success in Iraq is really bad for the democrat party. Democratic House Whip James Clyburn said it himself. It's got to be tough to know that your party has taken on the responsibility of ensuring the defeat of the US in a time of war and are failing miserably to achieve that goal and realize that inspite all of your best efforts, your country is going to win anyway.

In the 2006 election, Americans voted for change in Iraq...and got it.

Mission Accomplished - I have some land for sale, pa purchased it some time ago - would like to purchase it - the land is over yonder in Texas behind the wood shed, over yonder - see it?

Many of you equate evacuation of Iraq as surrender; other than oil, large government contracts to GOP sponsored Corporate Demigods, and Police detail, what exactly would we be surrendering? The administration has once declared “Mission Accomplished” in 2003, and so what is our mission now and what are the achievable objectives that will enable us to declare “Mission Accomplished” a second time? Someone define what a “Win” in Iraq will look like so that we can all take an accounting of the price we have and are still required to pay to achieve this elusive “Win”.

How wonderful that there's progress and an apparent decrease of violence in Iraq. However, it's becoming increasingly clear that the very small gains being made are costing the US significant and unsustainable amounts of US taxpayer's dollars and that even with all this cash, the US is not buying a lasting peace. In fact, the Bush Admin may be again creating conditions for an even more destructive and destabilizing regional war.

By spreading cash around to "employ" the Sunni insurgents and purchase, if not their loyalty, at least their non-violence for short lived political gain, the current surge of cash by the US appears to be empowering and showing favor to one side over another and helping to create heightened conditions for a civil war between the Shia and Sunni.

As has often been said in the past, peace in Iraq cannot be achieved by force. It also cannot be attained with massive amounts cash. Lasting peace in Iraq will only be earned through political dialogue and compromise - something this report is has very little of to show.

Good news indeed, fortunately we didn't listen to the Surrender Monkeys!

Isn't amazing that so many read this trash put out by an Adminstration that has only proved itself to be total and complete Fabricators and then use it to SUPPORT another false claim of 'victory'('Nam all over again!)? Neil? Surrender Monkeys? I would rather be a surrender monkey than led around by the nose by complete morons!

Oh, and don't forget about the fire next door to the White House! I WONDER what 'evidence' was burned up there?

We're just acting as the lid on a boiling pot right now. The minute we up and leave Iraq, the lid will come off and the whole country will explode into violence again. Don't be surprised if our troops stay in Iraq for the next 50 years to keep the situation "under control."

That's the whole reason Mr. Cheney recommended we not invade and take out Saddam during the first Gulf War. I wonder why he changed his mind and thought things would turn out differently this time.

I was reading and listening to reports on sucidel deaths of our soldiers in Iraq as well as deaths of soldiers coming back from Iraq. It is unbelievable to me that the military ignore signs of suicidal tendoncies. I have one son in the Marines who just returned from Iraq that appears to be doing well. I have another son who is in the Army who is now in Iraq. He was already suffering PTSD after being shot at a conveniece store but still he was sent over to Iraq. My question is "what kind of shape is he in over in Iraq: Is anything being done to help he and others while they are in Iraq: Will he and others survive their stay in Iraq? What happens when he and others come home? This goes through my mind every day! I suffer from PTSD myself and it is no fun! The nightmares and bouts of depressions are tough! I am asking and begging the military to please, please pay attention to any signs of sucidal tendoncies!!!!! These are our loved ones!

So let me get this straight. Things are some better but we can't be sure what to attribute that improvement to: is it the fact that there was a falling out between Sunni insurgents and Al-
Qaeda, which worked to our advantage when the warlords used our troops as assistant enforcers? (I don't dispute that the enemy of my enemy may be temporarily my friend)...or is it because there have been walls built and Baghdad turned into a virtual prison with a tad improved electricity and water delivery? ...Or is it due to there having been SO much violence that either there aren't that many people left to kill or else the ones there are SO sick of things that they are exhausted from all the violence and hide indoors in their houses while daily torture chambers and bodies still turn up in the smouldering civil war?
And I guess the ultimate question would be: is this temporary mini-victory coming at a Phyrric (almost suicidal) cost to our mother country here back home? With borrowing going on for the national debt at over $2 million a minute, is the victory so costly that it will bankrupt our country and tear it apart at the seams from internal division, economic hardship and damaged reputation worldwide that diminishes our business and standing overseas?
So just how 'worth it' is all this bloodshed, with over a million Iraqi's dead, over 4 thousand American troops dead and countless more returning vets with their lives and bodies torn apart with insufficient help for them once they get here (and a higher than ever suicide rate among troops over there and returning troops here)....

Just how much of a victory are we to celebrate? And how much longer do we hemmhorage money to Red China at interest so we can 'keep the lid on' over there while it takes decades to get their industry, their politics and their peoples' lives rebuilt?

Anything a terrorist leader or random Iraqi on the street says is considered gospel by the news media. But anything the US government says is always a lie. When are we going to recognize the real enemy? - the hypocrisy of liberalism.

The liberals have no sense of vision or foresight. You people who favor an Iraq pull-out have absolutely no comprehension of the consequences and you have not learned a thing from history. Even if one of your two incompetent presidential candidates manages to win the presidency, I would bet that they change their surrender tune once in office. Not even Hillary or Obama could risk the political fall out of Iraq falling into the hands of Al-Qaeda and Iran. You libs are in for a big disappointment when your candidates fail to deliver on their impossible promises.