Violence in Iraq Down, Iraqi Capability Up, Odierno Says

Attacks in Iraq are at their lowest level since before the February 2006 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, a top U.S. commander in Iraq said today.

In addition to a decrease in attacks, the number of civilian casualties is decreasing, car bomb and suicide attacks are at their lowest levels in a year, and Iraqi and coalition forces have found more weapons caches in the first nine months of 2007 than they did in all of 2006, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad.

“Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to keep the pressure on extremists, and I believe we will be able to continue to improve security in Baghdad and across Iraq,” he said.