Withdrawal Works Says Brit General

By Cernig Buried at the bottom of an AP report today about falling roadside bomb numbers in Iraq is this little gem: In Baghdad, a British commander said attacks against British and Iraqi forces have plunged by 90 percent in southern Iraq since London withdrew its troops from Basra, Iraq's second-largest city. The presence of British forces in downtown Basra was the single largest catalyst for violence, Maj. Gen. Graham Binns told reporters Thursday on a visit to Baghdad's Green Zone. ``We thought, `If 90 percent of the violence is directed at us, what would happen if we stepped back?''' Binns said. Britain's 5,000 troops moved out of a former Saddam Hussein palace in Basra in early September, setting up a garrison at an airport on the city's edge. The shift was part of planned reduction in British forces in Iraq to about 2,500 by next spring. See? Withdrawal works. As to the rest of the AP's article... Isn't it convenient how the U.S. military can attribute dropping roadside bomb numbers to Iran carrying through on a promise to stop meddling? Now they never have to give better - indeed, any - evidence for their accusation that iran was providing EFP's in the first place. And the only pretext for this sleight-of-hand is an Iraqi claim that was never confirmed by iran, who maintain they have no state involvement in EFP or arms smuggling in the first place. No mention whatsoever that Sadr's ceasefire might be the actual cause, as yet, even though they now admit that said ceasefire is a major cause of dropping casualty rates! A truly excellent bit of smoke-and-mirrors no-one in the MSM seems to have noticed.