On February 14^th, the United States began a massive security crackdown in Iraq.  The goal was to diminish the wide spread sectarian violence gripping the country.  An influx of American troops and increased security sweeps had dramatically reduced the number of deaths and bombings.  Bomb deaths have reportedly decreased by 30% and execution style killings are down by half.  These are encouraging signs especially given the fact that the full component of service members who will make up the increased troop level has not yet even reached Iraq. 

In the wake of the removal of Saddam Hussein, Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias moved in to fill the power void.  This led to a staggering level of sectarian violence that was left thousands of Iraqi civilians dead.  Illegal checkpoints were set up along roads and highways.  Insurgents and militiamen would stop vehicles, forcible remove members of the opposing sect and then torture and murder them.  Outdoor markets were a frequent target of car bombers leaving Iraqi people afraid to venture out for food and supplies.  In Baghdad, Sunni and Shiite death squads roamed the city.  Before the crackdown, US troops could find upward of 200 bodies on the streets of Baghdad each week.  Since the crackdown began that number has fallen to about eighty.   

Both the United States military command and the Iraqi people are cautious about the drop in violence, but the signs are good.  Of course the early success of this security crackdown leads to an obvious fact that is unpopular with the anti-war proponents.  An increase in American troops and a step up in offensive missions leads to a decrease in insurgent activity.  This has been proven in the drop in civilian death toll since the troop increase and the stepped up security sweep.  The increase in American checkpoints is making it more difficult for suicide bombers to target large groups.  The more frequent patrols is making it more difficult for death squads and militia extortionists to terrorize Iraqi civilians and merchants. 

This obvious drop in violence makes it much more difficult for those who advocate an instant pull out of American troops to justify how our withdrawal will make Iraq safer.  It also shows how an increase in our activity in Iraq may be the true answer to ending the insurgent violence.  The security crackdown has not inspired an increase in violence by the insurgents, rather it has been the key to finally reducing the activity of those who want to plunge Iraq in civil war.