Last throes run out of steam turning the corner at the end of the tunnel

The Vice President says the insurgents are in their "last throes," Condoleeza Rice says the insurgents are "losing steam," meanwhile in Iraq another four soldiers are killed.

BAIJI, Iraq, Aug. 10 -- Four U.S. soldiers were killed and six were wounded late Tuesday when insurgents attacked an Army patrol near the northern town of Baiji, the military announced Wednesday.

The killings brought to nine the number of U.S. service members whose deaths have been announced since Saturday while 38 have been killed in the month of August.

And from the same article, Army Brig. Gen. Karl Horst claims it's just that time of the month:

"If you look at the past few months, insurgents have not been able to sustain attacks, but they tend to surge every four weeks or so. We are right in the middle of one of those periods and predicted this would come," said Army Brig. Gen. Karl Horst, the deputy commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, which oversees Baghdad.