A fair and politic assessment
As liberal analysts like Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack and MSM reporters like John Burns describe the major progress we're making in Iraq, what does General Petraeus have to say? Here's what he told Michael Yon (via an NRO symposiuim):
Our assessment at this point is that we have begun to achieve a degree of momentum on the ground in going after AQI sanctuaries and in disrupting the activities of some of the militia extremists; however, AQI continues to try to reignite ethno-sectarian violence and clearly still has the capability to carry out sensational attacks that cause substantial civilian loss of life. And the militia elements certainly continue to pursue sectarian displacement in certain fault-line areas and to cause trouble in some Shia provinces as well. So there’s clearly considerable work to be done by Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. Beyond that, the spread of Sunni Arab rejection of AQI is very important and is a development on which we are still trying to capitalize beyond Anbar Province, where the effects are already very clear.
I don't know whether the political battle over Iraq here in Washington can be won, but for there to be any chance of success on that front, General Petraeus must be credible. Thus, it's an excellent sign that, for a change, our top commander's assessment is no more optimistic, and indeed perhaps more cautious, than the assessment of commenators only the defeatist left considers biased in favor of the administration.
