Circle in the sand

It's been a year since the U.S. implemented the Surge in Iraq. Commanders on the ground are cautiously optimistic about it's impact there which came about as a result of more boots on the ground, converting enemies into friends, and Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia maintaining a cease-fire. Military commanders are presently upbeat about the three wars being fought in Iraq: 1) against al-Qaida in Iraq, 2) against the domestic Sunni insurgency and 3) against the Shiite extremist militias. The first remains a bit of a problem. A lull has passed over the second. The third, however remains alive and well and may actually be a proxy war with Iran. The troops are making inroads and continue patrolling the streets. Make no mistake though, the war is taking its toll on the troops. Apparently suicide attempts by military personnel are up from 350 in 2002 to 2,100 in 2007. Troops will continue rotating home until July. Lets hope they all get to come home sooner rather than later.