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The purpose of the surge was to provide the "breathing space" needed that would allow the Iraqi government to achieve specific goals. The government has further fractured over the period of the surge and has ceased to be functional in any meaningful way.
It should also be noted that al-Sadr has ordered his Mahdi Army to stand down temporarily and I think some of the reduction in conflict can be credited to that.
Our occupation of Iraq has more to do with the ongoing insurgency than any surge is able to resolve. What is the "victory" we hope to achieve, if we are the source of the problem?
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"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007
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