THE SURGE COULD LAST ANOTHER YEAR, as it seems to be working. “Citing statistics on captured militants and insurgent attacks, Odierno said he was ‘cautiously optimistic’ that U.S. forces were improving security in Iraq. Roadside bomb attacks have declined for the last two months and attacks against civilians were at a six-month low, he said.”

Meanwhile, people are starting to use the word “postsurge.” But I wonder if “Operation Fig Leaf” will succeed? “Embrace victory, call it defeat!”

UPDATE: A cautionary note: “While we have the will and the resources to fight in this context, we are effectively hamstrung because realities on the ground require measures we will always refuse — namely, the widespread use of lethal and brutal force.” That’s been a theme of many milbloggers. I hope it’s wrong, since otherwise it means that we will lose the war as a result of enemy psychological warfare and “lawfare.”