Since 2007, Iraq has seen a steady and almost continuous decrease in violence and threat levels. Records for 2009 show 4,673 civilian deaths by the end of the year, compared to 22,586 to 24,159 civilian deaths in 2007. Incidents of bombings have fallen significantly in the same period and, since a 2004 peak of 229, kidnapping of foreigners has been on the decline.
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