The number of U.S. troops wounded in Iraq fell by more than a quarter in 2005 from a year earlier, Pentagon records show. Military officials call that a sign that insurgent attacks have declined in the face of elections and stronger Iraqi security forces.

The number of wounded dropped from 7,990 in 2004 to 5,939, according to the Defense Department. There hasn't been much change in the number of deaths, however. Pentagon figures show 844 U.S. troops were killed in the Iraq war during 2005, compared with 845 in 2004.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has announced plans to cut the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to about 130,000, down from about 160,000 for last month's elections. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he's optimistic that security in Iraq will continue to improve and more U.S. forces could leave.

More support for the idea that we could be seeing the turning point in the war in Iraq. Most of our objectives have been realized and if our government can make sure that the Iraqi people can keep up their own security then we'll be leaving sooner rather than later. I'm sure we'll leave some support troops behind for training and related duties as will other countries and that's not including the number of forces sent in to help with reconstruction efforts, which many countries are already discussing.
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