2007-12-31 In a safer Baghdad, Iraqis party for 2008

2007-12-31 Reuters Peter Graff \Baghdad\US occupation of Iraq http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSKAM15739020071231 In a safer Baghdad, Iraqis party for 2008 &ldquo;2008 arrived in a less-violent Baghdad, and residents said it was the first real party they had seen in years.&rdquo;  2008 arrived in a less-violent Baghdad, and residents said it was the first real party they had seen in years.

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While the city is still far from peaceful and many of the festive gatherings had a tentative feel, many said it was a happier occasion than they could have dared to hope just a few months ago.

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Violence in Iraq has declined dramatically in the past few months. U.S. forces say attacks are down 60 percent since June.

Although 2007 was the deadliest year of the war for U.S. troops, December was the least deadly month for the U.S.-led coalition since the war began. Just 22 U.S. and allied soldiers were killed in December, compared with 131 in May.

Still, violence has not ceased. A suicide car bomb in a town north of Baghdad killed 11 people including five children on New Year's Eve morning. Two suicide bombs killed at least 33 people on Christmas Day.

  