Congressman Steve Lynch returned to Iraq for the tenth time last week as part of a Congressional delegation visit. Lynch and two other House colleagues travelled to Samarra and Sadr City, a Shiite stronghold within Baghdad which has been a base of support for the radical cleric, Moqtadar al-Sadr. He also visited an Air Force hospital and dined with soliders from Massachuetts.

The Lynch tour was the first Congressional delegation to participate in a so-called "battlefield circulation" in Samarra, which was the site of the 2006 Golden Mosque bombing.

"I've tried to keep tabs on the situation in Iraq on a fairly regular basis over the past few years," Lynch said in a statement released to the Reporter. "I would say that the security situation is vastly improved generally. There are some problem areas remaining near Mosul and in Dyala Province, and near Basra. However, these are the exceptions. I anticipate that fewer troops will be needed and gradual force reductions will be coming in the near future."