How's Iraq doing?

Was listening to NPR yesterday, and they had a panel that was saying how support for the "surge" is increasing because people beleive that the "surge" is working. The proof is that the number of soldiers who died in Iraq in July was lower than in the last 6 months. Amazing! This is the same logic that says that if we have a cold day in October, then clearly, there is no such thing as global warming, because look - it's cold...

The real evidence of whether the "surge" (I just can't write that without using quotes) is working is looking at how the political process is working. From ALL - every single - accounts it is failing miserably...

Shiite-Sunni Imbalance Intensifies in Baghdad

The U.S. military says it believes that the Shia-led government in Baghdad is trying to cleanse the city of all Sunnis.

Sectarian violence has pushed most Sunnis into west Baghdad, and the Iraqi government is suspected of limiting basic services to the Sunnis in hopes of causing them to leave.

Though I've said this for forever - the SHI'ITES are the fundamentalists here - Shi'ites are in control in Iran. If they get in control of Iraq, that is a HUGE fundamentalist region that will destabilize the Middle East significantly...

Now, this is something that many Mid-East experts have been saying since the runup to the Iraq war - and yet politicians (including MANY democrats - HILLARY CLINTON) are saying that its the political process that has failed - and yet this was predicted BEFORE 3000+ troops died...