John Loves Peace, maybe one day you or one of your family members will be affected by what these religious lunatics in the middle east and then you will see that peace and negotiation are not in their vocabulary.  The problem is, we were attacked on our own soil (which by the way has never happened before).  I agree that going into Iraq before the war in Afghanistan was resolved may have not been the best thing to do, but regardless, these @#$holes that would blow YOU and your peace loving family to smithereens if they had the chance are fighting are brave men and women on the front lines over there rather than plotting their next attack in this country. Wake up! It's not a coincidence that we haven't had a terrorist attack within our borders since 9/11.  I know you would like to forget it and hug a tree, but this is the real world, buddy and there are bad people in it that only understand one thing:  Overwhelming force and 2000lb bunker busters.......

John Loves Peace, The dems will surely pay the price when congressional elections are held again for them not allowing us to do anything about the energy crisis.  We wouldn't want to disturb the view that many of these liberals have from their back decks of the ocean with oil rigs.........while the average americans suffer, paying more than $4.00 for a gallon of gas.  At least agree with me that Newsweek is biased and is in full support of Barak Hussein Obama......There's not an article on this website that doesn't contain a link to his campaign website.  The media is dominated by left wing liberals that believe they can affect the outcome of this election.  As the son of a former Army colonel and the brother of a platoon leader serving his second tour in Iraq, I think I can speak a little more accurately on the subject matter than you.  Take off your Obamatron goggles.........

Wow, its amazing how little people understand what is going on in Iraq. I read your quotes and understand how someone like Obama can even have a chance. He is so out of touch just like the quotes I am reading here. Obama is saying something diffrent everyday, he has no clue on how to run this country. The president has to make decisions and stand behind them, he cant stand behind what he said yesterday. Maybe you people should talk to a soldier who has seen the changes in Iraq. Its not because of money, its because of american hereos, quit taking from what our boys are doing. God Bless America and its troops. McCain 08.

Gabe...please stop your repub crap. The war isn't being covered because the economy has been dominating the news. Chiefagc correctly points out that we're paying several armed groups in Iraq to basically not attack us or each other. That's the only reason things have calmed down a bit. Overall we have very little to show for seven years of effort and the spending of a mind-boggling amount of money we could have used on domestic programs. The rest of the world now hates our guts because of Dubya's huge mistakes. The GOP sucks and they will dearly pay the price for their garbage this November!

Despite all the bravado by McCain, where is the political reconciliation that was the purpose of the surge in the first place?  There virtually is none.  It should be no surprise that with tens of thousands of additional troops, and putting Sunni militias on the payroll, that the security situation would improve.  But that was not the purpose of the 'surge.'  It was to allow time for the Iraqi government to do the things necessary to bring about reconciliation.

What will happen once the payments to the Sunni militias end, and the Iraq government refuses to take them into their security apparatus?

Security improvement does not mean success for the surge.  Political reconciliation does, and where is the evidence of that.

In Basra, the political situation is splintering into many small groups, all jockeying for power.  That is not a prescription for success.

One should go back and read the words of Bush when he announced the reason for the surge.  It was to allow the Iraqi government to work, and it isn't.

How can you print an article about Anbar and totally omit all the payoffs we have been making on a regular basis to tribal leaders. That's what accounts for the drop in violence- MONEY- not the surge.

U might also notice there is a link to Obama's Hamas, Hezbollah donation site on every page.........This is not a legitimate news source, but rather a Liberal think tank.

I too agree.  They're running out of ways to undermine the war, no, conflict, no "situation" in Iraq.  If you noticed, the majority of major news outlets has not reported anything on Iraq since things have improved.  They don't want to upset Obama's anti-war, change rhetoric.  It's almost amusing to watch the press shape this election.  According to them, we might as well just handover the presidency to this Obama character.....lol.

This is great news!  , , ,WAR CRIMES can now be considered foreign policy! , ,I am considerably impressed with our generals standing around as if they are in their own back yards discussing their success at planting roses and what they will do to the nasty varmints that might dig into them. , , , ,

, ,WHAT? , ,ME?  , ,A WAR CRIMINAL? , , ,OH , , HA HA YOU'RE JUST JOKING , , HA HA!

Newsweek must be running out of bright sunshine Obama shinning star paper. One has had to put sunglasses on this past year just to read the articles.

I was also "bemused" as to why this story was considered by the editors for publication. Must be a slow week. I for one needed another glass of wine before reading past the first paragraph. But I must say it was written well. Bravo Lennox (like the china) Samuels. Chuck Hasker