Good News

We're still winning:

U.S. deaths in Iraq fell in October to their lowest monthly level of the war, matching the record low of 13 fatalities suffered in July. Iraqi deaths fell to their lowest monthly levels of the year. Eight of the 13 Americans died in combat, most of them in northern Iraq where al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgent groups remain active. The U.S. military suffered 25 deaths in September and 23 in August.

In Afghanistan, meanwhile, 15 U.S. military deaths were reported for October. The monthly toll in that combat theater had been in the 20s since June, when 28 Americans were killed - the worst one-month total since that war began in late 2001.

The sharp drop in American fatalities in Iraq reflects the overall security improvements across the country following the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and the rout suffered by Shiite extremists in fighting last spring in Basra and Baghdad.

Indeed, "[m]otorcycle accidents have killed more Marines in the past 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq."

Further, Al-Qaeda's propaganda chief was killed by a missile strike last Friday. And I note that since 2003, Al Qaeda "has not been able to execute a single successful attack here in the U.S., or even against American interests abroad."

(via Instapundit, Powerline, Federalist Paupers)