The Surge Is Working In Iraq

[Mike]

Arguments accepted.

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Qaeda defeated in Baghdad: Iraqi PM

Feb 15 01:25 PM US/Eastern

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki proclaimed on Friday that Al-Qaeda had been routed in Baghdad thanks to a security plan launched a year ago, and would soon be defeated throughout the country.
"Thank God, we destroyed the cells of Al-Qaeda. They have been chased out of Baghdad and this has opened the way for their defeat throughout Iraq," Maliki said at a ceremony marking the launch on February 14 last year of the Baghdad security plan, known as Operation Fardh al-Qanoon (Imposing Law).

"Today our forces are locked in battle against outlaws in Nineveh and we are chasing them," he added, referring to the northern province where Iraqi officials say Al-Qaeda has regrouped after fleeing Baghdad.

Maliki on January 25 announced a "decisive battle" against Al-Qaeda in Nineveh province, and sent troop and police reinforcements to the provincial capital Mosul, which the US military says is the last urban stronghold of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The prime minister thanked "all those who helped make the security plan a success and who saved the country from the miserable situation it was in due to Al-Qaeda's violence and terrorism."

To mark the anniversary of the launch of Fardh al-Qanoon, he laid a wreath at the monument to the Unknown Soldier in Baghdad at a ceremony attended by the defence and interior ministers and other Iraqi officials.

The launch of Fardh al-Qanoon coincided with the start of a "surge" of an extra 30,000 US troops in Iraq, which has helped reduce the number of bombings in the capital, while the streets are no longer theatres for violent clashes between insurgents and the security forces.

The decrease in violence is being experienced elsewhere as well, with US and Iraqi officials saying that attacks across the country are down 62 percent since June while the number of Iraqis -- civilians and security force members -- killed in January 2008 was 541 against 2,087 in the same month in 2007.

But recent attacks in Baghdad, including twin blasts in the city centre which targeted a meeting of tribal leaders and killed 19 people, have shown just how fragile the security situation is.

[Hanta Yo]

[fff]

The escalation (surge to you) was announced by George W. Bush against the wishes of most every military officer in the Pentegon. His top aide at the time has said 80% of the people who advised Bush, advised against this escalation. Bush announced it as a temporary increase in military strength to give the Iraqi government breathing space, to work out their differences and meet the benchmarks set out by Congress and agreed to by him.

Billions of dollars later, hundreds of lives later, the Iraqi government hasn't done squat to resolve their differences. They've met maybe one benchmark. No, the "surge" isn't working. It won't work. Bush will keep the number of military in Iraq about where it is through his term, continue to run up deficits, and print more money to throw at the slowing economy and people like you will pretend the "surge" was about killing terrorists instead of helping the Iraqi government. If we get a Democratic president next year, he/she will start drawing down our troops and the Iraqis will either get along or kill each other. But, for better or worse, they'll run their own country. The "surge" is simply postponing that inevitable result, whatever it may be.

[Red Robin]

Here's what you posted in July of 06. It sounds here like you're saying peace in bagdad is impossible. I don't see you mention anything about the political diversion you mention now.

[Red Robin]

Here's another article from you in 06. Seems clear to me that they were talking about civil war and a military action to offset it. The surge worked ff. Quit lying about what we thought in the past.



When Americans think of civil war, they mostly think of the one that occurred here in 1861-65. Southern states seeking to become independent from the federal union, fought government troops in bloody battles, mostly in the South. More than 200,000 troops on both sides were killed in action and another 400,000 died from diseases, starvation and other causes.

What's happening in Iraq has not quite reached that level of combat or casualties. Most of those dying are civilians, not military. About 14,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in the first six months of this year. Around 2,600 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since the war began.

But whether we call the hostilities in Iraq a civil war, or whether we refer to them as ongoing violence, the fact remains that nearly 3 1/2 years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, things are not going well there.

It was all too evident last Tuesday when Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited with President Bush at the White House and met with reporters. Bush, proclaiming conditions in the Iraqi capital "terrible," announced a plan to shift more U.S. troops to Baghdad from other points in the country to beef up Iraqi forces beset by a surge of attacks in and around the city.

"Our strategy is to remain on the offense, including in Baghdad," Bush said.

Then, trying to put a more positive face on the obvious setback, he added, "We still face challenges in Baghdad. Yet, we see progress elsewhere in Iraq."

But with this latest shift in strategy, it would seem clear that the Pentagon might have to table plans to start bringing some troops home by the end of the year, civil war or no civil war."[/i]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/benedetto/2006-07-28-benedetto_x.htm?csp=34[/quote]

[Mike]

Diary shows surge working

Democrat Nancy Pelosi claims the surge is "a failure." That would be news to terrorists of al-Qaida in Iraq -AQI - on the receiving end of the surge. American leaders in Iraq are increasingly describing AQI as "on the run." Saturday, Coalition spokesmen released a captured diary written by an al-Qaida "emir" (leader), which gives a vivid description of an enemy in disarray.

The diary of "Abu Tariq" was found in November by U.S. soldiers patrolling near Balad, north of Baghdad. After being exploited (i.e. translated and analyzed), the document proved to be highly illuminating. (See the full translation at www.defenselink.com.)



As the emir of five AQI "Battalions," Abu Tariq reveals a network falling apart around him as the Sunni "Awakening" gathers steam and tribes turn against al-Qaida, Coalition forces hunt down his key men, while others defect or withhold their support. Below are some telling excerpts:

His forces have clearly decreased dramatically - "There were 600 fighters in our sector before the tribes changed course ... Many of our fighters quit, and some of them joined the deserters ... Things started getting worse ever since, and ... the number of fighters dropped to 20 or less."
Old supporters are reluctant now - "We gave him $28,000 to get the (truck) back but he did not return it yet. He refuses to give us any of it lately ... therefore we have to keep trying with him to get our weapons and ammunition back ... especially since the Awakening groups started opposing us."

He threatens those who have turned - "Later I will mention the names of the traitors so that they may be punished when time comes. ... [they are] the cancer that grew in the body of the jihad movement, therefore we should have no mercy on them"

Then he catalogs the disruptions that his units have suffered as a result of the surge, the Petreaus counterinsurgency strategies, and the organizing of new Concerned Local Citizen groups as part of the Awakening.

"Battalion of Laylat al-Qadr Martyrs: The number of fighters in this Battalion were 200. All of them were very well-equipped with weapons and 37 vehicles, and they did a lot of good activities against the invader and its followers ... there are few left who are actually fighting and some were killed and some arrested, but the majority betrayed us and joined the Awakening ... The number of fighters is now only ten."

"Battalion of Abu-Haydar al-Ansari: There were 300 fighters ... since their Emir deserted us, (they) dropped down to 16, and then to two; one was arrested and the second injured."

"Battalion of Hudhayfah Ibin al-Yaman: For the present time their activities are frozen."

"Battalion of al-Ahwal: Most of its members are scoundrels, sectarians, non-believers."

"Battalion of Muhammad Bin Muslimah: The leader was killed by the traitors ... with help of the invaders' helicopters, which [destroyed] some of our vehicles and weapons ... (he) became an officer with the Awakening group, plus others who ran away with their weapons."

Air Defense Section: One person is left in this department who is still working with us.

[Red Robin]

diary of dishonest

[Mike]

[fff]

None of your responses address the fact that Bush announced the escalation as a short term move to allow the Iraqi government to get their act together. We've spent billions of $$, US soldiers have died and has the Iraqi government got its act together? No. As they say, "The operation was successful, but the patient died".

So spin and spin. Continue to live in your fantasy world along with Bush, but most people know the reasons put forth for the escalation and that it's another failure of George W. Bush's administration.

[fff]

[Cal]

Interesting, "Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki proclaimed on Friday that Al-Qaeda had been routed in Baghdad thanks to a security plan launched a year ago, and would soon be defeated throughout the country", yet Disfff claims that "The surge is a total failure, yet Bush is not going to admit it".....unbelievable.

Good job Mike and Red Robin.

[Texan]