Declare Victory and Go Home

That seems to be the US’s new doctrine in Iraq. First, the US faced a rebellious Falluja, and decided to use force to put the city back under US military control and bring the people responsible for the death and mutilation of the 4 American contractors to justice. After a month-long seige, the US declared victory and left Falluja though the criminals remained free, the center of Falluja remained off-limits to US authority, and Saddam’s army was given control of the city.

Now a similar thing seems to be happening in Najaf. An agreement seems to be in the works to end the US’s military operations there:

NAJAF, Iraq – The U.S.-led coalition agreed Thursday to suspend offensive operations in Najaf after Iraqi leaders struck a deal with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to end a bloody standoff threatening some of Iraq’s holiest Shiite shrines.

…[The agreement] does not require al-Sadr immediately to disband his militia and surrender to authorities to face charges in the April 2003 assassination of a moderate cleric — key U.S. demands to end the standoff.

So can someone tell me xactly what the US has accomplished with its military offensives over the past 2 months?

Kash