The nation's top general said Sunda...

The nation's top general said Sunday that Iraq isn't slipping into civil war and blamed the violence there onward a "relatively small number of individuals" who he said are trying to restore "tyrannical rule"

Appearing forward NBC's "Meet the Press," Marine Gen Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there's been progres in training Iraqi defense forces and disputed accounts, a certain from conservative commentators, that U efforts in Iraq are failing.

"It is not a great smiley picture nor is it a disaster," Pace said. "What is it is a highly tough environment that still has a division of work to be done however one in which we're making surpassingly very good progress."

Pace disputed a steady stream of CIA assessments, reported last week from Knight Ridder, that the Sunni insurgency has shrewd roots, is likely to worsen and could