The America forces Surge and Iraqi Muslim uprising against al-Qaeda atrocities apparently combined to cleanse Baghdad of al-Qaeda (note, there will be the occasional attack – I am not being Pollyannish – but they will now have to be executed from bases outside of Baghdad):

American forces have pushed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia out of every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top U.S. general said Wednesday, allowing for a reduction of American troops.

Major General Joseph Fil, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, said that troops had yet to clear 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other neighborhoods controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, “there’s just no question” that violence has been reduced since a spike in June.

“Murder victims are down 80 percent from where they were at the peak” he said. “IED attacks are down 70 percent.” He did not give a time frame for the statistics.

The left is going to have a real tough time convincing the world of their persistent delusional hallucinations that Iraq is not on a path to some level of success. They won’t be able to keep this up through the end of the calender year, let alone the 2008 election cycle.

Update: More here at the NY Times (they must have gagged over publishing this story).