According to CNN as reported by UPI, General Petraeus has described the progress in Anbar as “breathtaking”. Those are strong words to come from our top field commander in Baghdad but I am seeing other indications he might well be right.

The Anbar Salvation Front is now making noises about the “immanent defeat” of al Qaida in Anbar. They have recently begun chasing bands of insurgents out of the province across provincial borders with the permission of the neighboring provincial governments. Currently the Front is pushing them into Babil province into the area we had called “The Triangle of Death” where it appears al Qaida might soon know the place by the same name.

The Iraqi daily al Mada reported that the Front captured the Minister of Finance for the Islamic State of Iraq and further reports that US forces were not informed of the operation because the Front concluded that the delay could have resulted in its failure as its success depended on speed and surprise. Interestingly, al Mada also reported that another reason US forces were not informed was that the Front is concerned that Iraqis working with US forces are passing information to the enemy. They reportedly felt that informing our forces could have allowed the suspects to be tipped off and cause them to flee before they could be arrested and endanger the mission and their people.

This speaks volumes on how quickly the Iraqis are progressing. Not only are they apparently able to develop their own intelligence, but they are acting on it on their own initiative and weighing operational risks to take greatest possible advantage of the moment even if that means keeping us in the dark on a particular mission. They must fully understand that not informing us places them at greater risk of a “friendly fire” incident but overall, this is extremely refreshing news.

Also reported from Iraq is news that sectarian killings are down for a second consecutive month. I have also noted a distinct shift in the pattern of attacks across Iraq over the past several weeks. In December and January mass casualty events were happening at a fairly even pace. Civilian deaths were spread across the month and the toll one week not much different than the next. Now I am seeing long periods of no mass casualty attacks punctuated by brief furies of attacks spanning a day or two followed again by quiet. It would now appear that many of their cells have been disrupted and the remaining operators are coordinating their activity to produce maximum impact with what resources remain at their disposal.

While Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi fiddle away in Washington using our troops for their personal political games, operations in Iraq appear to be making dramatic progress. Much of this progress is in the support and financial networks supporting the terrorists and will not bear tangible fruit for a few weeks. A trainer and facilitator of suicide bombers was eliminated earlier this week. While the bombers that have already been trained and placed have yet to perform their grisly deeds, this recent elimination of the support structure that produces them bodes well for a reduction in future bombings.

As terrorists are pursued and destroyed in Anbar, Babil, and Diyala provinces, the security situation inside Baghdad should also improve. I don’t believe I am being overly optimistic when I say that I believe that things have already turned the corner. The “root system” of the insurgent networks is being severely damaged and the ability to support the vines that reach into the neighborhoods with their poisonous fruit will soon begin to wither.

UPDATE: More at The Strata-Sphere

We are on the verge of two defeats: al Qaeda in Anbar and Dems in America. Lesson to Senator Surrender Рnever promise defeat and then fail to come through. It’s worse than promising success and then failing.