Five million children started classes this week in Iraq. 
Iraqi children walk to school, in Sadr city, Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007. More than five millions students nationwide returned to school on Wednesday morning after three months of summer vacations, according to Iraqi ministry of education. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
Despite previous warnings from Al Qaedathat it would increase attacks, violence in Iraq during Ramadan has fallen by almost 40 percent from last year, the U.S. military said on Sunday (Reuters).
US military deaths were at their lowest point in 14 months in September.
AFP reported:
US military losses in Iraq for September stood at 71 on Sunday, but the toll remained the lowest monthly figure since July last year, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.
The US military on Sunday announced the death of another soldier, saying he died when his unit was hit by a bomb and came under small arms fire in eastern Baghdad on Saturday. A second soldier was injured.
The figure marks the fourth consecutive drop in the monthly death toll following a high of 121 in May. June saw 93 deaths, July 82 and August 79, while the monthly toll in July 2006 was 53.
The latest death pushed the overall toll of American losses since the March 2003 invasion to 3,802.
A surge in US troop numbers saw an extra 28,500 personnel deployed from mid-February, mainly in Baghdad and the neighbouring province of Anbar, although commanders said most were not in combat positions until May.
US commanders say the strategy is starting to work and that levels of violence are dropping, allowing for a possible drawdown of the 160,000 or so troops now deployed.
The LA Times can’t help themselves and open with this biased headline- “Petraeus admits to rise in Iraq violence.”
It is so sad that our media has been diminished to a big anti-Bush propaganda outfit.
MORE: John Wixted notes that it’s not just US military deaths that are down.
And more amazing news HERE.
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