The reporter who was one of the first to acknowledge that Iraq was in a state of civil war, Michael Yon, has some very interesting things to say in his recent email:

Iraq is on the mend, al Qaeda is on the run, and the civil war has abated to a point where the term “civil war” no longer applies.

Accurate war coverage is increasingly important. Even prominent seemingly well-informed persons can get it wrong, such as retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez who previously commanded the war in Iraq . His recent public statements –selectively excerpted and then widely dispersed by the hot winds of media – made it clear that this former senior commander is far out of touch with the current situation.

But there are commanders with a finger on the pulse.

When earlier this year I wrote about the 1-4 CAV transforming an abandoned seminary in a Baghdad neighborhood that had been decimated by civil war, the “surge” had not even begun; but already pundits, politicians and editors had declared it a failure. Though I’d spent only a few days with LTC Crider and his 1-4 CAV soldiers at the new COP Amanche, I ended the dispatch on a note of hope based on observation. I recently received an email from LTC Crider with an update on that Baghdad neighborhood. Please read “Achievements of the Human Heart” and see for yourself.

See also, Mike Yon on video from CNN’s “This Week at War”

Trackposted to Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Amboy Times, , Right Truth, The Populist, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.