OIF SITREP

General Petraeus and his boys are kicking ass in the fight of our lives.

Despite the New York Times' attempt to discredit the work of soldiers in the field, Representative Mike Pence writes about his visit to Baghdad with Senator McCain:

"From the moment of our arrival, I could sense that things were different. Gen. David Petraeus met us at the airport, and, instead of boarding helicopters to the Green Zone, we drove into town. I hadn't done this since my first trip several years ago.

"We were briefed on the progress of the surge of U.S. and Iraqi forces into Baghdad. For the first time, U.S. and Iraqi forces have set up dozens of joint security stations throughout this city. They live at these stations and patrol together for weeks at a time. While the fight is far from over, violence is down in large parts of Baghdad. We saw the progress for ourselves."

And here's something that blew me away:

"While we were instructed to leave our bulletproof vests on, Gen. Petraeus took off his helmet and urged us to leave our helmets in the vehicles."

That's a line between confident and crazy I may be hesitant to cross.

Kimberly Kagan has posted the third installment of The Iraq Report. She discusses the rise of al Qaeda in the al Anbar Province and how their presence is dwindling due to successful counterinsurgency efforts, even pre-surge. The importance of a joint mission has led to locals ratting out the enemy for the safety of their neighbors, along with that of Iraqi Security Forces and U.S. troops. As well:

Due to the latest Baghdad Security Plan, a "Ramadi sheiks' recruitment drive had ... produced 4,500 new policemen, where previously there had only been 300." And "the major police recruiting drives forced al Qaeda further out of Ramadi."

More on al Anbar; The Wall Street Journal notes the success of the sheiks' recruitment drive and explains how the new civil war in Ramadi is between AQI and Sunni tribes. A tidbit:

"Anbar is like the American West in the 1870s. Security will come to towns in Anbar as it came to Tombstone--by the emergence of tough, local sheriffs with guns, local power and local laws."

Good News Quick Hits:

• Deaths in Baghdad are at the lowest rate in more than a year.
• "al Sadr's ... absence [from Iraq] has encouraged subordinates and earlier rivals to move in on his turf ... It's clear that he does not control the organization."
• EFP attacks (possibly the most dangerous type of IED) are down and a joint effort nabbed an EFP maker.
• The Sunni insurgent group Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front is whining because al Qaeda's ISI is "aggressively muscling in on their territory and resources." (The enemy is finally showing a rift in their alliance, much as America has divided over the last few years.)
• Troops are winning the hearts and minds with humanitarian aid in an al Salaam neighborhood.
• General Caldwell says that Iraqi Security Forces are becoming "more capable literally almost every week as they continue their operations" in Operation Enforcing thee Law. "Caldwell pointed to a decrease in the number of sectarian murders and assassinations, a reduction in the number of car bombs, and a diminished capability for insurgent elements to move within the city."

Read Iraq The Model's story about a nightly check of his house when he had company over. It's quite contrary to the typical "kicking in doors" reports you hear about. Winning the hearts and minds.