▁was ▁strong . ▁" The ▁lo ot ers ▁st ole ▁everything ▁– ▁even ▁the ▁br icks   ... ▁They ▁almost ▁le ve led ▁the ▁whole ▁base ▁to ▁the ▁ground ", ▁said ▁Ah med ▁Moh ammed ▁Abd ul ▁Lat ief , ▁ 2 0 , ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁M ays an ▁University . ▁ ▁Situ ation ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Bag hd ad ▁ ▁A ▁US ▁general ▁said ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁violence ▁has ▁fallen ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ▁by ▁nearly ▁a ▁half ▁since ▁July , ▁although ▁he ▁acknowled ged ▁a ▁sp ike ▁in ▁bomb ings ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁ 4 8 ▁hours . ▁" In s urg ents ▁and ▁terror ists ▁are ▁hitting ▁back ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁offset ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁and ▁its ▁security ▁forces ", ▁Maj ▁Gen ▁William ▁C ald well ▁told ▁rep or ters . ▁After ▁meeting ▁Ira qi ▁Def ence ▁Minister ▁Abd ul - Q ader ▁Moh ammed ▁J ass im ▁al - M if ar ji , ▁UK ▁Def ence ▁Minister ▁Des ▁Brow ne ▁said ▁Ira q ▁was ▁moving ▁forward . ▁" Each ▁time ▁I ▁come , ▁I ▁see ▁more ▁progress ", ▁he ▁said . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁military ▁command ▁acknowled ged ▁in ▁the ▁week ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁considering ▁an ▁over ha ul ▁of ▁its ▁latest ▁security ▁plan ▁for ▁Bag hd ad , ▁where ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁int ensive ▁American - led ▁swe eps ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁cur b