Have we turned the corner in Iraq?

Is the good news about casualties in Iraq evidence that the surge is working? David B. Rivkin Jr. and Brian Katulis debate.

Today, former White House policy aide Rivkin and Katulis, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, discuss what appears to be good news from the front: Civilian and military deaths in Iraq have dropped precipitously, and thousands of refugees are reported to be returning to the country. Later this week, they'll talk about an exit plan, the apparent decline in Sunni Islamist appeal in Iraq and other issues.

By every objective measure of military performance, the United States' surge of military forces into Iraq has been a great success. The number of terrorist attacks has fallen significantly. American military casualties are down, as are Iraqi civilian casualties. Perhaps the best testament to the surge's success is that civilian refugees are beginning to return.

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This article was originally published in Los Angeles Times.