Casualties Down in Iraq

The is good news, at least for the US Military says USA Today:

U.S. military deaths during the past month have dropped to an average of about one a day, approaching the lowest level since the insurgency began two years ago, according to a USA TODAY analysis of U.S. military data.

But not so good for Iraqi civilians:

The decline in U.S. deaths comes as Iraqi casualties are the highest since the U.S. military began tracking them in 2004.
In the past month, nearly five times as many Iraqi forces and civilians were killed as troops in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, U.S. military data show.

Here is the cause of the decline, which is encouraging for the long haul:

The shift from spring 2004, when U.S. and Iraqi casualty rates were comparable, reflects an insurgency that increasingly targets Iraqis and the growing presence of Iraqi forces on the front lines.
"The Iraqi army is far bigger in number, far higher in training capability and far more willing to go where the fight is and take casualties," British Defense Secretary John Reid said in an interview.

And as the President repeatedly declares "as the Iraqi's stand up, we will stand down".