Oh, the spin. The Washington Post breathlessly reports on yesterday’s Pentagon Quarterly report:

“Three months into the new U.S. military strategy that has sent tens of thousands of additional troops into Iraq, overall levels of violence in the country have not decreased, as attacks have shifted away from Baghdad and Anbar, where American forces are concentrated, only to rise in most other provinces, according to a Pentagon report released yesterday.”

Ah it’s all in the interpretation. This of course is the reason The Surrender Twins headed for the microphones yesterday. But while this is in no means a glowing report of progress, it’s to be expected and in fact shows both good and bad.

First of all the Pentagon on it’s own website headlines the report, “Quarterly Iraq Report Cites Progress, Challenges“.

“It‚Äôs still too early to assess the impact of the new strategy in Iraq, but more progress is expected as additional troops come on line to boost security in Baghdad, according to the latest quarterly report to Congress, released today.

The June 2007 report, ‚ÄúMeasuring Stability and Security in Iraq,‚Äù assesses trends in terms of the security environment, political process, economic activity and development of Iraqi security forces. ‚Ä®‚Ä®The report measures both progress and setbacks between mid-February and mid-May. It‚Äôs the first report for which the entire period took place under the new strategy for Iraq that President Bush announced in January. It notes continued momentum in building Iraq‚Äôs security forces, which now number 347,000, up almost 18,000 since the last quarterly report, released in March. ‚Ä®‚Ä®In addition, nine Iraqi divisions, 31 brigades, and 95 battalions are in the lead or operating independently in their areas, the report notes. That‚Äôs an increase of one division headquarters and two battalions since the last report. ‚Ä®‚Ä®These troops, along with coalition forces, have increased force levels and instituted new security measures to protect the population, the report notes. Four additional U.S. brigade combat teams are in place in Baghdad, and a fifth team is expected to be fully operational by the month‚Äôs end. ‚Ä®‚Ä®Meanwhile, three additional Iraqi brigades completed 90-day deployments in Baghdad, and one has been extended until mid-summer. More Iraqi brigades are on alert and are moving to support operations in the capital, according to the report. ‚Ä®‚Ä®Despite these advances, additional forces are encountering heavy resistance as they operate in areas where they hadn‚Äôt previously had a large presence, the report recognizes. Although civilian murders and sectarian violence in Baghdad dropped 45 percent early during the reporting period, that trend didn‚Äôt continue through the rest of the period. ‚Ä®‚Ä®Of particular concern is the rise of high-profile attacks and expanded use of explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, the report notes. These shaped charges can pierce armored vehicles. ‚Ä®‚Ä®On the political front, the report recognizes the Iraqi government‚Äôs continued commitment to political, economic and military steps to further reconciliation between competing factions. It also cites increased efforts to help them advance these efforts. Yet the report notes that few key legislative or reconciliation actions were completed during the reporting period. ‚Ä®‚Ä®Meanwhile, oil production and crude-oil exports remain below projected targets — the result, the report says, of poor infrastructure and inadequate security. Additional efforts will be needed to build capacity of Iraqi ministries and provinces to support economic development, it notes. ‚Ä®‚Ä®‚ÄúOverall, it is too early to assess the impact of the new approach (to Iraq),‚Äù the report concludes. ‚ÄúProgress will depend on Iraqi follow-through on their commitments made as part of the new approach.‚Äù

So, is the surge working? Yes, because violence once centrally located in Baghdad has moved to other areas, and this again is an expected dispersal. It matches exactly what the administration has been saying over the last few months, that we can expect to see rises in casualties – both civilian and military due to the enemy redoubling their efforts.

This increase will eventually decrease when we get more boots on the ground those additional areas and as we continue preparing the Iraqi military and paramilitary units to take control. Again, takes time to build a country and this report shows that – while slow - there is progress.

UPDATE: Just to clarify for the clueless on the left, the fact that the violence has essentially left Baghdad and scattered to other areas IS progress, indeed that is why the extra push was initiated.

UPDATE II: Missed this, but Jeff Goldstein notes that the WAPO writer is none other than uber moonbat reporter Ann Scott Tyson. Jeff also compares the numbers that the media is using for it’s dire reporting.