Things in Afghanistan are not going well. You can’t kill terrorists without causing civilian casualties, and there there is a backlash. It’s unavoidable, so NATO should seriously plot out some new tactics. It doesn’t help that he Afghan government is corrupt and inefficient, and thus not trusted by the public!
The conomic situation also works against success.
There has to come a new approach, or things will likely get worse.

In Iraq, the picture is not uniform. Baghdad is much sager. A considable number of those who fled are rturning. There are signs of normal life, although what is considered normal life in Baghdad would not be accepted in most other regions.

Al Qaeda has moved its base to a new area. They have not been vanquished, but the overall level of violence is not as bad as it was.

So which truth do you want?
The only truth we can count on is that it’s complicated, extremely difficult and what the future will bring, no one can say with certaintly

There is no use pretending that there is some ultimate truth that is being hidden. Have your pick of the many truths!.