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Mood of hope in Iraq

The Leader-Post
Published: Saturday, June 17, 2006

As the U.S. announced that the number of its military personnel killed in Iraq had reached 2,500 this week, an unexpected mood was in the air -- optimism.

Buoyed by the June 7 air strike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi forces have since carried out almost 400 raids on insurgent fighters, seizing 28 "significant" collections of arms. There has also been a small decline in violence in recent days.

But the U.S. and Iraqi governments say the best news is contained in a purported al-Qaida document found in an alleged hideout sometime in the past three weeks. The Iraqi government released a transcript this week in which al-Qaida leaders say their terror campaign is in "bleak" shape because of an increase in Iraqi forces trained by the U.S., a large number of arrests, weapons seizures and financial problems.

The document suggested a change of tactics might be needed that could include involving the U.S. in a "war against another country".

While recent events have been encouraging, many other supposed "turning points" have come and gone:

- Saddam Hussein's military quickly collapsed after the March 20, 2003, invasion, with Baghdad in U.S. hands by April 9;

- President George W. Bush confidently declared on May 1, 2003, that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended";

- Saddam was captured in December 2003;

- After five months of negotiations following

December's general elections, Iraq's parliament approved a new government in May.

Throughout, the bloody insurgency by Saddam loyalists and al-Qaida has continued and more than 30,000 Iraqi civilians are believed to have been killed since the invasion.

Still, perhaps a dash of optimism is what the world needs on Iraq -- so long as everyone remains realistic about the tough days that undoubtedly lie ahead.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2006