Good news from Petraeus, and good news from Tehran, too. robert fox on what it means
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Ignore the cries of ignominious defeat that greeted the British pull-out from Basra. There are indications that the move could signal real progress in resolving the crisis in Iraq. And there are today other signs of momentum, both in Iraq itself and in the neighbourhood, which give real hope.
True, these signs of hope are no comfort to the American neo-cons and their plans for the future government and economy of Iraq. That is why they have been raising such a chorus of criticism against the British and the others they now blame for finally scuppering their plans.
The indications of change - and the reasons for cautious optimism - are unmistakeable.
First, the British are doing what they always said they would - train the Iraqi forces and hand over to Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC as it's known). They have done this in three other provinces, Maysan, al-Methana, and
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General Petraeus has declared that the ‘surge’ cannot be open-ended
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Diqaa. This will not rule out serious factional rivalry - two governors have been murdered in Methana and Diqaa - but the Shia are beginning to come to a settlement in order to run oil-rich Basra.
Second, behind his high-flown rhetoric during his desert visit to central Iraq on Labor Day, President Bush indicated an important shift of the political criteria - benchmarks - by which America will relinquish control over security and withdraw the bulk of its forces from Iraq.
He embraced the idea of working with loose tribal power networks, particularly those of central Iraq around the area of the mid-Euphrates, in Anbar and Diyaala provinces. This sounds remarkably like the British approach now being adopted in Basra.
Third, General David Petraeus confirmed to ABC News yesterday that the American forces on the ground in Iraq will be reduced from the present 'surge' level of around 160,000. Ahead of his crucial address to Congress next week, Petraeus said that he knew numbers had to be reduced radically by next 
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