Introduction
According to reports by U.S. officials on the death toll in Iraq, since September 2007 there has been a significant drop in casualties among U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces, as well as among Iraqi civilians. For example, the number of Iraqi civilians killed across the country in September 2007 dropped by 50 percent compared to the average number of deaths in previous months, [1] and in May 2008, the reported death toll among U.S. troops in Iraq was the lowest in months. [2] This drop in casualties indicates a decline in the abilities and effectiveness of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
To read the full dispatch, visit http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/report.htm?report=2724.
* Dr. Alshech is the director of the Jihad and Terrorism Studies Project at MEMRI.
