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Catherine Moy
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U.S. and Iraqi soldiers Protect Iraq Streets on Patrol

Progress marches forward as United States’ and its allies’ troops hand over the 12th or 18 provinces to Iraqi control. Looks like VICTORY to me!!!!
Here’s the story from the UK Telegraph:

The dramatic improvement in Iraq’s security was underlined with the handover to local forces of Babil province, south of Baghdad and once at the epicentre of the insurgency when attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians were daily occurrences.
In February 2005, Babil saw one of the deadliest incidents since the US-led coalition in Iraq when a suicide attack in the town of Hilla killed at least 115 men as they queued to join the new army.
That force, trained by US and British troops, will now formally take responsibility for Babil’s security. Of Iraq’s 18 provinces, 12 are now under the direct security control of the Baghdad government. Coalition forces no longer patrol the streets in these provinces and all routine tasks are performed by Iraqi personnel.
“Just a year ago this province used to see well over 20 attacks per week and today attacks are down by 80 per cent. This is truly remarkable,” said General Lloyd Austin, the deputy commander of US forces in Iraq, at the handover ceremony in Hilla.
The fall in violence coincided with the “surge” of thousands of extra US troops deployed in Iraq.
But America and Iraq are now trying to reach agreement over the future presence of US and coalition forces in the country. The United Nations mandate allowing their deployment expires on Dec 31.
America wants to conclude a “Status of Forces Agreement” (SOFA) allowing its troops to stay beyond this deadline. But Iraq wants guarantees that any US forces on its territory will not attack its powerful neighbour, Iran.
Britain is negotiating a separate SOFA for its forces. Bill Rammell, the Foreign Office minister responsible for the Middle East, said that British troops would have a “fundamental change of role next year”. Instead of a possible combat role, training Iraqi forces will be their sole responsibility