The Generals in Iraq are discussing ways to reverse the surge of 30,000 troops. The 3^rd Brigade, 1^st Cavalry division has started to head home. This is being done in hopes that the Iraqi government will begin to show some signs of taking control of their country. This strategy is designed to put pressure on the Iraqi Security Forces and the new U.S. alliances with neighborhood watch groups. This was made possible by the decline in the amount of U.S. military casualties and Iraqi civilian deaths.

This has been the deadliest year for U.S. troops in Iraq since the beginning of the conflict. Since summer the number of monthly U.S. troop deaths has declined. There also was an earlier announcement this summer by some of the Generals that Al Qaeda has been depleted. Some believe this will be the trend for the near future. So all caution is being thrown to the wind in an attempt to except the success of the surge and declare some sort of progress.

The lingering question is have the surge made enough inroads against the insurgents to make the gains last. With the change in strategy can the Iraqi Security Forces hold onto the gains created by the surge. The neighborhood watches will be tested, and will they stand. With this new found calm in Iraq can the refugees return to their homes and find peace and calm.

I hate to be a skeptic, but this seems to be the beginning of a campaign to prove the candidates calling for the withdrawal of troops to be wrong. I hope I’m wrong, but I believe this to be the beginning of a strategy to reinforce to the public that we need a Republican administration to continue the fight against terrorism. If the militias are just simply in hiding waiting for the surge to be reversed so that they can return to the streets. The Iraqi Security Force is a ragtag corrupt army. The Iraqi Government has no power to move any reconciliation forward. In 2 to 3 months there will be once again total chaos in Iraq, and the John McCain strategy of needing more troops will have to be implemented.   

The presidential campaign will be sent into a total tailspin, with the Republicans crying for more troops due to the heightened alert with Iraqi turmoil. With the Kurdish and Turkey conflict in the north, along with a resurgence of the insurgents and militias in the rest of the provinces. Instead of realizing a responsible drawdown in troops we will become bogged down in the Middle East turmoil for years to come. Mr. Musharraf is having trouble with Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. The Israelis and Palestinians conflict is starting to buildup again. Also Syria has yet to respond to the Israelis’ air strike on their supposed Nuclear Plant.