The Foundry

Yesterday the Pentagon released a mandated report to Congress titles: “Measuring Security And Stability In Iraq.” According to the report: “Security incidents are now at the lowest levels in over four-and-a-half years, instilling in the Iraqi people a sense of normalcy that permits them to engage in personal, religious, and civic life without an inordinate threat of violence.”

The American people have begun to notice that we are winning in Iraq. While the report also stresses, the military’s gains in Iraq are “reversible and uneven.” Nevertheless, according to Rasmussen Reports for the first time since Rasmussen Reports began polling on the issue, a plurality of voters in September say the U.S. mission in Iraq will be viewed as a success in the long term:

In a national telephone survey Monday night, 41% said history will rate the war in Iraq a success versus 39% who said it will be seen as a failure, with 20% undecided. These findings echo those of the previous two weeks.

By contrast, in August of last year, 57% believed history would judge the U.S. mission in Iraq a failure, and only 29% disagreed.

Nearly half of voters (48%) also believe the situation in Iraq will get better in the next six months versus 22% who believe it will get worse. Twenty-three percent (23%) expect things to stay about the same. The number of those who see the situation getting better has been steadily rising throughout the summer as violence has gone down in the war-torn country.