"...they lost."

Lt. Col. Mike Silverman, commander of the 3rd ID in Anbar Province was asked by Michael Totten, "What’s the most important thing Americans need to know about Iraq that they don’t currently know?” His answer is this (emphasis mine)

“That we’re fighting Al Qaeda,” he said without hesitation. “[Abu Musab al] Zarqawi invented Al Qaeda in Iraq. The top leadership outside Iraq squawked and thought it was a bad idea. Then he blew up the Samarra mosque, triggered a civil war, and got the whole world’s attention. Then the Al Qaeda leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province. They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.”

Totten and Silverman have a great interview that discusses the outcome of Anbar, insights into the conflict there, and how it became a victory. Baghdad may not be brimming with great news, but this is a good sign of what can be if the US plays smart and remains committed to success.