Glad to hear they know better...

"The surge is, unquestionably, what has been the catalyst that has created the opportunity to have more forces operating in more places at the same time and to deny Al-Qaeda and the extremists safe-haven and to take away sanctuaries."

- Rear Admiral Mark Fox

Why is it, again, that the Democrats think they know more about what's going on than the actual military commanders on the ground? It must be their impressive experience in the military and in foreign-policy positions. Wait, what? The three leading contenders for the Democratic nomination have never served a day in either the military or a foreign policy position? What is it that qualifies them, then, to disagree?

US military deaths in Iraq lowest in 14 months
AFP

US military losses in Iraq for September stood at 70 on Sunday, the lowest monthly figure since July last year, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.

The figure also marks the fourth consecutive drop in the monthly death toll following a high of 121 in May. June saw 93 deaths, July 82 and August 79. The monthly toll of July 2006 was 53.

Two US soldiers were killed on Saturday in separate incidents, pushing the overall toll of American losses since the March 2003 invasion to 3,801.

A surge in US troop numbers saw an extra 28,500 personnel in deployed from mid-February, mainly in Baghdad and the neighboring province of Anbar, although commanders said most were not in combat positions until May.