Surge ahead, fall back

surge
a sudden large increase, typically a brief one that happens during an otherwise stable or quiescent period

increase, rise, growth, groundswell, escalation, leap.

pause
a temporary stop in action or speech

stop, cessation, break, halt, interruption, check, lull, respite, breathing space, discontinuation, hiatus, gap, interlude; adjournment, suspension, rest, wait, hesitation; informal letup, breather.

Discontinue the war. Pull the plug. Cease fire. Bug out. The war is on hiatus. The troops in Iraq appreciate their breathing space.

'Otherwise stable or quiescent' my ass.

The 'pause'/'surge' crap is more of the Bush bullshit cynical PR labeling, try to slip some positive but utterly false connotation from the penumbra of a word's meaning into the public's view of its policy. 'Death tax.' All taxes for war are death taxes.