Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has declared that his government has defeated terrorism in Iraq.
What this means is that surge is a success only in the sense that flooding the zone with security has tamped down violence and — here is the real point — neutralized Iraq as a domestic political issue in the presidential campaign.
“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it. But, thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them,” al-Maliki declared, referring to recent government operations against Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

Violence in Iraq is said to be at its lowest level in four years, a factor that is attributed to the surge of U.S. forces into the country.

So if the surge has been so successful, can we bring U.S. troops out of Iraq and leave internal national security to al-Maliki and the Iraqi military?

Of course not. We’re sending more troops to Iraq. Late in June, the Pentagon was said to be preparing to send in another 30,000 troops to Iraq in about six months to replace troops currently there in order to maintain 15 brigades in country.

What this means is that the surge is a success only in the sense that flooding the zone with security has tamped down violence and — here is the real point — neutralized Iraq as a domestic political issue in the presidential campaign.

Underlying the “success,” however, the morass of internecine religious conflicts, intrigue and power struggles is far from resolved and will undoubtedly raise its ugly head again when U.S. troops come out, if they ever do.