here is the deal..

We reinforced Baghdad with extra troops to stop sectarian death squads from targeting each other Iraqis.

Remember hearing news about markets blown to bits by car bomb' or 'Al Qaida using kids/retards to commit sucicide missions'

or 'Mosque blown up by Shites', etc, etc

Al Anbar province, Fallujauh, Ramadi were run amok with Syrian/foreign forces..

we send in more infantry for the battles in Fallujah (Al Sadr's home base) and we took it back by force.
Al Sadr fled to Iran and his milita disbanded..

During this time of Fallujah, Al Zaraqawi (Al Qaida in Iraq) was beheading other muslims and targeting US troops. We killed him with the help of disgruntled muslims who were sick of Al Qaida doing things like baking their kids alive or slitting wives throats if they refused to kill Americans.

Now, whole communities are working, even thriving again around Baghdad and the death squads/bombing of markets/mosques, etc...is virtually gone.

2 years ago we averaged circa 80 KIA (killed in action) a month...

today?
5

So, yes.

The 'surge' (which was really a simple reinforcement) worked.