We may be on the verge of defeating one of our major foes in Iraq -- the local al-Qaeda affiliate.

The U.S. military believes it has dealt devastating and perhaps irreversible blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq in recent months, leading some generals to advocate a declaration of victory over the group, which the Bush administration has long described as the most lethal U.S. adversary in Iraq.

But as the White House and its military commanders plan the next phase of the war, other officials have cautioned against taking what they see as a premature step that could create strategic and political difficulties for the United States. Such a declaration could fuel criticism that the Iraq conflict has become a civil war in which U.S. combat forces should not be involved. At the same time, the intelligence community, and some in the military itself, worry about underestimating an enemy that has shown great resilience in the past.

I'd rather not see a premature declaration of victory -- after all, there are other foes to be defeated in Iraq. But it is good to know that one of the worst is in the process of being crushed -- and it provides some hope that the rest are in similarly dire straights.

Posted by: Greg at 11:38 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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