Patreus admits the other reasons why violence has dropped in Iraq

[Flabbergasted]

Over the summer Maliki spent some time talking to his neighbors on how to work together to improve the security situation in Iraq. These meetings along with a six month cease fire declared by Muqtada-al Sadr were the primary reasons for the reduction in violence in Iraq.

Cryptically the VOA article uses the phrase "aggressive action by foreign-fighter source countries" as a reason for reduced violence. This could only mean Saudi Arabia and Libya "both considered allies by the United States in its fight against terrorism, were the source of about 60 percent of the foreign fighters who came to Iraq in the past year to serve as suicide bombers or to facilitate other attacks, according to senior American military officials."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/middleeast/22fighters.html?hp

August 30, 2007

The Shia nationalist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr suspended the activities of his powerful Mehdi Army militia for six months yesterday after clashes in the holy city of Kerbala killed 52 people and forced hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to flee.

His spokesman, Sheikh Hazim al-Araji, said in a statement on state television that the aim was to "rehabilitate" the militia, which is currently divided into factions. Significantly, Mr Araji said that the Mehdi Army will no longer make attacks on US and other coalition forces. This may ease the pressure on British troops in Basra, who have come under repeated attack from the Mehdi Army.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2906339.ece

General Petraeus told reporters in Baghdad the surge of U.S. troops and progress by Iraqi security forces have helped reduce violence in Iraq by 60 percent in the last six months, to the lowest level in nearly two years. But he says there have also been other factors.

"Iraq has also been helped by more aggressive action by foreign-fighter source countries and by Syria, which has taken steps to reduce the flow of foreign fighters through its borders with Iraq. Another important factor has of course been the cease fire declared by Muqtada-al Sadr," he said.

The Iraqi Shi'ite leader declared a cease-fire, and General Petraeus says he has been purging criminal elements from his militia.

But the general was more cautious in assessing Iran's role in Iraq. U.S. officials say Iran has provided high-powered explosives, training and money to Iraqi insurgents known as "special groups," and even sent agents to Iraq to plan and supervise attacks on coalition forces. But top Iranian leaders recently promised Iraqi leaders they would not do anything to contribute to instability in Iraq. And General Petraeus reports a reduction in the use of bombs and weapons supplied by Iran. But he could not say whether that reduction is linked to Iranian government action.

http://voanews.com/english/2007-12-06-voa64.cfm