For the Iraqis, the war in their country continues, if at a lower level than before. Recent upticks of violence have been largely directed at Iraqi civilians and security forces, evidence that the country is far from being free, stable, and secure. Both Iraqi leaders and U.S. military commanders continue to fear the influence of neighboring Iran, and critical issues, like the disposition of the oil-rich region around Kirkuk, remain unresolved. Those former U.S. benchmarks for stability remain unmet. Yet Gen. Ray Odierno announced in April that by early September, as planned, the number of U.S. forces in Iraq will have shrunk to 50,000.

Indeed, it appears that one of the country’s two ongoing wars will play little, if any, role in the U.S. midterm elections. Iraq as an issue has rarely surfaced on the campaign trail lately as America struggles out of one of the deepest and most painful recessions in modern history. Domestic concerns easily trump foreign affairs on the stump and very likely in the voting booth as well. In public opinion polls, the combined wars in Afghanistan and Iraq rank far behind jobs, government spending, deficits, and healthcare as the issues most important to voters, while other polls have dropped Iraq entirely from their questionnaires.