For those of you who think we're losing in Iraq

There are some that say that we are currently fighting a war in Iraq that we cannot win. For instance, these bozos here. Jeff's amazingly good blog, Peace Like a River has been providing striking evidence and insightful commentary to the contrary:

Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces, in a joint operation in Baghdad, killed Abdallah Najim Abdallah Muhammad al-Juwari, otherwise known as Abu Azzam, Abu Selwah, and Wissam, the al Qaida in Iraq (AQIZ) Emir of Baghdad, at approximately 4:50 a.m. Saturday Multiple sources including corroborating information from a close associate of Abu Azzam led Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces to the terrorist safe house where the AQIZ leader was hiding.
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Upon entry to the apartment, security forces found two women and then took fire from two men in an adjacent room. Security forces immediately returned fire, killing one terrorist and wounding another. The women were unharmed in the firefight.
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Recently captured terrorists have said Azzam was as important, if not more so, than Abu Musab al Zarqawi. As Zarqawi continues to run and hide throughout Iraq, Azzam provided both misguided spiritual (false Jihad) and operational direction and controlled all finances for AQIZ. He would allocate monies to the various sub-organizations and personnel within the AQIZ network.
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A recently captured AQIZ member reported that Azzam wanted to meet on numerous occasions with Zarqawi, but the most wanted terrorist would not allow it, most likely due to the risk of Zarqawi’s capture. Allegedly Zarqawi stated that Azzam was too important to risk a meeting, according to the detainee. (read the rest here).

Peace like a River is even up for the Crosley Solo Blog of the Week over at the Radioblogger site. Rest assured that your vote for Jeff here will be well placed.

***UPDATE***

Further evidence that we are indeed winning can be found here:

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Today, American forces in the city of Kerbala officially handed over security responsibilities to Iraqi army and police units in the city.
This makes Kerbala the second Iraqi province that undergoes this transition of power after a similar step was taken in Najaf nearly two months ago.
The event which was attended by military and civil officials from both parties also included a parade for the Iraqi units that are going to assume responsibility for peace keeping tasks in Kerbala.
Unfortunately no web links are available at the moment as the only source that reported the news was Al-Hurra TV. However web links will be added to this piece once available.

****update****

More proof:

Yesterday the "Baghdad's lovers" society held the last of its summer nights which included among its activities a session of literature and poetry in one of Baghdad's old and famous social clubs the "Hunting Club".
I was glad that I received an invitation to attend the event and actually I wasn't surprised to see the size of the great crowd of interested people who challenged night and terror just to listen to a few poems and critique them.

The hall got full of people and we lived a few hours completely far from every day's pain and worries though pain and sorrow were part of the poems that our brilliant lecturer read which also included many verses that were written for our adored Baghdad.
At the end of the evening, a woman from the audience seized the microphone and spoke to the rest of us:

We must keep up the constructive activities of art, literature and poetry and show the terrorists that they can never steal our humanity or kill the spirit of creation inside us….

He words kept ringing in my head while I was on my way out of the club; the sound of bullets was loud out there but I didn't care just like that brave women didn't care and Baghdad's nights shall always inspire the creative.
I told myself then; they're losing and we are winning.

(Click the above link to see photos of the event)