US military: Al-Qaida 'off-balance' but still lethal threat in Iraq
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The US military distanced itself Sunday from remarks declaring al-Qaida in Iraq close to defeat, saying the terror network is "off-balance and on the run" but remains a very lethal threat.
However, Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a military spokesman, said violence has dropped some 70 percent since a US troop buildup began nearly a year ago.
Underscoring the continuing dangers, a roadside bomb targeted a patrol of US-allied Sunni Arab fighters near a mosque in northern Baghdad, killing one of the so-called Awakening Council members and wounding three others, a police official said.
Driscoll was responding to a question about comments made Saturday by US Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who said that Iraqi forces have made important progress in confronting extremists.
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