Allahu Ackbar!

BALAD, Iraq – Two Al Qaeda in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq members wearing suicide vests self-detonated during an Iraqi Special Operations and Coalition forces operation Nov. 16.

The suspected terrorists died during an ISOF operation to disrupt AQI/ISI activities in the Diyala province.

Both of the assailants detonated their suicide vests approximately 100 meters from the ground force. “No one from ISOF or CF was hurt during this operation.

Not quite the same as ’sploding, but, still humorous. Anyone know how many virgins are left in Paradise?

In other Iraq news, the brave Coalition troops keep mopping up the jihadi’s, who would have, in collusion with Iran, been in control of Iraq had Obama and the other Defeatocrats had their way.

Nominee for the “Let’s Tone It Down To Nap Time” headline award, the LA Times is a sure winner: U.S., Iraq fatalities dip in October

The number of Iraqis killed in war-related violence in October was the lowest since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, Iraqi officials said Friday.

The death toll was 278, including 22 policemen and 18 Iraqi soldiers, according to the Ministry of Health. In addition, 46 suspected insurgents or militiamen were killed, and 846 were arrested, Iraqi government officials said.

The number of U.S. troops reported dead in October was 13, equal to the low recorded in July, according to independent website icasualties.org.

What, the LA Times couldn’t go to the Department of Defense? Sad commentary in itself, eh?

And, to call it a dip is to ignore not only the tremendous strives in Iraq, but the body of the story itself!

The monthly totals are evidence of the dramatic drop in violence across Iraq in recent months. In October 2007, 888 Iraqis were killed in war- related violence, and there were 38 U.S. military fatalities. The decrease in violence has been attributed to several factors, including the deployment last year of an extra 30,000 American troops to quell sectarian fighting, and the setting up of Sunni Arab paramilitary units to work alongside U.S. and Iraqi forces in providing security.

So, that Surge thang that McCain pushed for and most Democrats, including Senator Barack H. Obama, were against, has worked. Furthermore, setting up the paramilitary units, otherwise known as the police and military (nice dodge, LA Times), was part of the original plan. Anyhow, notice that this is a “dramatic drop,” not a “dip.” In fact, more Marines were killed in motorcycle accidents in the USA then killed in Iraq over the past 12 months.

And from ye olde AP

U.S. deaths in Iraq fell in October to their lowest monthly level of the war, matching the record low of 13 fatalities suffered in July. Iraqi deaths fell to their lowest monthly levels of the year. Eight of the 13 Americans died in combat, most of them in northern Iraq where al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgent groups remain active. The U.S. military suffered 25 deaths in September and 23 in August. (snip)

The sharp drop in American fatalities in Iraq reflects the overall security improvements across the country following the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and the rout suffered by Shiite extremists in fighting last spring in Basra and Baghdad.

But the decline also points to a shift in tactics by extremist groups, which U.S. commanders say are now focusing their attacks on Iraqi soldiers and police that are doing much of the fighting.

Wait. How’d that get in to print? It almost seems like the AP is saying that the overall plan to turn Iraqi security over to the Iraqi’s has worked.

Meanwhile

Rebuilding schools is a top priority for Multi-National Division – Baghdad to eliminate terrorist and criminal activities and set the condition for a brighter future for Iraqi youth.

Al Tajadud school in the Adhamiyah District of Baghdad reopened, Oct. 26, after undergoing a two-month-long renovation. With $220,000 from the government of Iraq, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division facilitated the rebuilding of this important infrastructure.

Progress.

Well, I can find this story in international papers, and small U.S. ones, but, none of the big U.S. news sources, other then the Washington Post. I wonder why?

The commander of US military forces in Iraq has accused Iran of trying to bribe Iraqi legislators into rejecting a security deal with the US.

Gen Ray Odierno told the Washington Post that many intelligence reports suggested “pay offs” were being made, but that he had no definitive proof.

The US and Iraq governments are negotiating a security pact to allow US forces to stay beyond the end of 2008.

See, now, if I was one of the Reality Based Community, I would probably blame this on Obama, and suggest that the Obama campaign is behind this, in order to damage what we are doing in Iraq. But, I’m not. What we are seeing is the continued attempts by Iran to impose influence over Iraq. Imagine had we followed the “redeployment” plans of Obama and other Democrats.

And, how about Obama’s no preconditions for talks buddies in Iran think about talks?

Vice President for Media Affairs Mehdi Kalhor said on Saturday that Iran has set two preconditions for holding talks with the United States of America.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, he said as long as US forces have not left the Middle East region and continues its support for the Zionist regime, talks between Iran and US is off the agenda.

It is the Americans who are in dire need of reestablishing ties with Iran, he underlined.

Iran is not obliged to reestablish ties with the US, he said.

“If they take our advise, grounds for such talks would be well prepared,” he said.

It is stupidity to hold talks without any change in US attitude, he underlined.

Of course, Kahlor is only one voice, and a small one, and even a president Obama wouldn’t be that dumb to listen to those conditions. I hope. One never knows what kind of surrender post-Vietnam Democrats will accomplish.

Hmm, I wonder if the rest of the Credentialed Media will cover this story of an obvious Logan Act violation, which goes much, much more in to detail then the original New York post editorial by Amir Taheri (visit Wizbang and Hot Air for some of the original breakdown). Washington Times: Obama tried to sway Iraqis on Bush deal (FYI, the Wash Times is having some connectivity issues today)

At the same time the Bush administration was negotiating a still elusive agreement to keep the U.S. military in Iraq, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tried to convince Iraqi leaders in private conversations that the president shouldn’t be allowed to enact the deal without congressional approval.

Mr. Obama’s conversations with the Iraqi leaders, confirmed to The Washington Times by his campaign aides, began just two weeks after he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination in June and stirred controversy over the appropriateness of a White House candidate’s contacts with foreign governments while the sitting president is conducting a war.

Two important points there. First, the Barry camp has confirmed that Obama was violating the Logan Act, and second, that it started well before Obama was goaded in to making a foray to Iraq.

Mr. Obama spoke June 16 to Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari when he was in Washington, according to both the Iraqi Embassy in Washington and the Obama campaign. Both said the conversation was at Mr. Zebari’s request and took place on the phone because Mr. Obama was traveling.

However, the two sides differ over what Mr. Obama said.

“In the conversation, the senator urged Iraq to delay the [memorandum of understanding] between Iraq and the United States until the new administration was in place,” said Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States.

So, here we have an issue, according to Ambassador Sumaidaie, of Obama meddling for purely political purposes. It sure says something about Obama’s character, leadership, and judgement, eh?

On one hand, the Surrender Monkey is not amused. It really does not help the cause of the Defeatocrats to talk about The Surge having worked in The Paper Of Record. On the flip side, there is nothing Surrendie loves more then a surrender to the inevitable

Market by market, square by square, the walls are beginning to come down. The miles of hulking blast walls, ugly but effective, were installed as a central feature of the surge of American troops to stop neighbors from killing one another.

“They protected against car bombs and drive-by attacks,” said Adnan, 39, a vegetable seller in the once violent neighborhood of Dora, who argues that the walls now block the markets and the commerce that Baghdad needs to thrive. “Now it is safe.”

The slow dismantling of the concrete walls is the most visible sign of a fundamental change here in the Iraqi capital. The American surge strategy, which increased the number of United States troops and contributed to stability here, is drawing to a close. And a transition is under way to the almost inevitable American drawdown in 2009.

Huh? The Surge has worked? Maybe someone should tell That One, who still thinks that The Surge was a failure, and has created any and all talking points to force an artificial redeployment out of Iraq, even saying he would send the troops to Afghanistan. Anyone who believes that he would really do that is basically Andrew Sullivan insane.

“The Iraqi security forces are now able to protect Iraq,” said Joaidi Nahim Mahmoud Arif, a National Police sergeant in Dora, in southern Baghdad. “They will depend on themselves above all.”

I’ll grant that the Coalition top leadership really blew it once the initial war was over, but, now, as we move the troops our of Iraq responsibly, the possibility of a free and democratic Iraq is bearing fruit. Do the Dems still want to lose it?