A Lull in Iraq: Eid Cools Down the Fighting Heat of Ramadan

There is an apparent lull in the number of attacks carried out by insurgents in Iraq and the number of raids and attacks carried out by U.S. forces. The decrease in the tempo of operations follows a period of heightened action that coincided with the just-ended holy month of Ramadan. As previously noted, the pace of operations by the militants was unsustainable in the long run, but the next few days will demonstrate whether this Eid pause is a temporary time of rest and recuperation or a more permanent state of affairs following the recent U.S. counterinsurgency offensive.