... Life in Iraq's Anbar province is still dangerous, but security is improving,,,

... For example, 22 joint security stations in the town of Ramadi now are helping to tamp down violence, ... As security continues to improve, we don't think that there will be a need for all of those security stations,

... Now, the sons of al Anbar have stood up and are stepping forward to join the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police,

These reports come as Rohan Gunaratna, a leading al Qaeda expert, says that a US troop pullout from Iraq would leave the country as a potent launch pad for international terrorism and Washington would be forced to go back in within a couple of years. Addressing a security conference at Lloyd's of London insurance market, he adds that Iraq would become a "terrorist Disneyland" where al Qaeda could build up its strength unchallenged:

Addressing the same conference, a top British security official acknowledged home-grown Islamist militants had exploited the British troop presence in Afghanistan and Iraq for propaganda purposes.

But the official, Sir Richard Mottram, said any decision on withdrawal should be taken based on its impact on the two countries, not its effect on the views of radicals in Britain.

"I'd be very cautious about withdrawing from Afghanistan in circumstances where the field was left to the Taliban," said Mottram, Permanent Secretary for Intelligence, Security and Resilience at the Cabinet Office. He declined comment on Iraq.

A former head of Britain's foreign intelligence service MI6 described Gunaratna's analysis as convincing.

"Clearly al Qaeda are focusing on Iraq now, and focusing on some sort of propaganda victory over the United States," Sir Richard Dearlove told reporters.

"Whether that's an actual victory or not, if they can claim in the Muslim world that they've done well, then that puts us in a very difficult position. This is really an aspect of withdrawal that hasn't been properly considered. That's why I think we can't just let Iraq go its own way."

Someone needs to clue-in the Democratic leadership and their leader, George Soros, that they indeed have it all wrong on Iraq. If it is as CNN reports - that al-Anbar could be a model for defeating the insurgency in other provinces in Iraq, and in light of what Gunaratna is saying, "a US troop pullout from Iraq would leave the country as a potent launch pad for international terrorism and Washington would be forced to go back in within a couple of years, "staying the 'new' course" offers a lot more promise than a pullout does.

Other coverage: Hot Air.