Almost daily Corner bashing

Here's Rich Lowry on why the surge is working:

I meant to note this Washington Post story from the weekend on the second Samarra bombing not causing the sort of wide-spread blood-letting of the first. The surge apparently has had something to do with it:

Analysts said that many lessons have been learned, and circumstances have changed, since the February 2006 attack.

In particular, thousands of extra troops were on the streets of the capital this week because of a new U.S. security plan, and the government immediately imposed a four-day curfew, as opposed to 2006, when the government did not act until after the sectarian backlash had begun. In addition, the extra Iraqi troops currently in Baghdad are mostly from the army, which is less sectarian than the Iraqi police force

It ought to be said that a four day suppression of a violent reaction to the Samarra incident doesn't necessarily mean there haven't been or won't be recriminations elsewhere or at another time. It also doesn't really sound like a working surge leaves Iraq looking like a place anybody should be proud of.

At the very least least Lowry had the sense to post an addendum to that news clip. Unfortunately, it basically knocks down his cheerleading altogether:

But al Qaeda is still at it. Here's the latest barbaric attack on a Shiite mosque.

Good to know.