Violence in Iraq is at its lowest point since early 2006, according to AFP.

BAGHDAD (AFP) – Violence across Iraq has fallen to its lowest level since before the bombing of a Shiite mosque in February 2006 that sparked savage sectarian bloodletting, a US military commander said on Thursday.

There has also been a 50 percent fall-off in violence in Baghdad since January, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of US-led forces in Iraq, told a press conference in Baghdad.

“Attacks nationwide have fallen to the lowest level since before the Golden Mosque bombing,” he said, referring to a bombing which destroyed the revered shrine in Samarra and unleashed a relentless wave of reprisals and counter-reprisals across Iraq that has already killed thousands of Iraqis.

“Car bombs and suicide attacks have dropped to their lowest level in a year,” Odierno said. “Attacks in Baghdad have reached the lowest level this year and the trend continues to be down.”

Casualties among civilians have also dropped from about 32 per day to now 12 per day on average. There appears to have been no reprisal for the shootings on Sunday by Blackwater, when a State Department convoy was attacked. And it isn’t just US commanders issuing this statement:

Iraqi General Qanbar Abud, chief of Baghdad operations command, also addressing the press conference, said Iraqi and US forces were achieving “success on the ground.”

“Life is returning to normal,” Abud said. “We are now winning. We never thought it could be such a success.”

The assessments were based on official statistics from Iraqi military commands, local police and government, including the ministry of health, Abud said.

“These statistics show there has been a huge decrease in criminal and terrorist activities.

“There are about 507 neighbourhoods in Baghdad and before operation Fardh al-Qanoon (Imposing Law) was launched (in February), two-thirds were controlled by terrorists and criminal gangs,” the general said.

“Today, only five or six neighbourhoods can be considered hot zones,” he said.

And wait…wait. What is this? Could the surge be…

Fardh al-Qanoon, supported by a “surge” of 28,500 extra US troops, was launched on February 14 with the aim of quelling the raging violence pitting Shiites against Sunnis.

“Iraqi security forces are present in these places, there are troops there, and life is going normally, even though we sometimes have roadside bombs, shootings and assassinations,” Abud said.

Hmm. So violence is down at its lowest point since the beginning of the major violence, only 5 or 6 neighborhoods are now considered hot zones, there’s been a huge decrease in terrorist activity and Iraqis say we are winning to an extent they never thought possible. Doesn’t sound good for the Defeatocrats.