USA Today brings us a few of the reasons that Major attacks in Iraq are declining.
The number of truck bombs and other large al-Qaeda-style attacks in Iraq have declined nearly 50% since the United States started increasing troop levels in Iraq about six months ago, according to the U.S. military command in Iraq.
Nearly 50% since the surge started and yet the full compliment of trops involved in that surge has only been there less than 2 months.
Military officers say the decline reflects progress in damaging al-Qaeda's networks in Iraq. The military has launched offensives around Baghdad aimed at al-Qaeda sanctuaries and bases.
"The enemy had the initiative and the momentum in '06," said Jack Keane, a retired general who is a chief architect of the increase in troop levels and mentor to Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. "We've got it now."
You remember who Keane is, don't you? He is the retired General that Nancy Boyda walked out on because she couldn't stand to hear about any progress that he was reporting regarding Iraq.
Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS) walked out of a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee because she couldn't stand to listen to what retired General Jack Keane, former vice chief of staff of the Army, was saying.
"There is only so much you can take until we in fact had to leave the room for a while...after so much frustration of having to listen to what we listened to," Ms. Boyda explained to reporters later.
What did Gen. Keane say to so upset Ms. Boyda? He'd visited contested neighborhoods in Baghdad in February, and again three months later:
"What you see is a stark contrast. All the schools are open. The markets are teeming with people...There is an attempt to provide essential services to the population where in '06 there were none."
"Those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying, here's the reality of the problem," Rep. Boyda said. "And people, we have to come together and deal with the reality of this issue."
It is difficult to say which is the more remarkable: that Ms. Boyda, whose military experience is zero, imagines she knows "the reality of this issue" better than does Gen. Keane; or that she is appalled by good news from Iraq.
I guess she will also refuse to read anything about "progress" in Iraq, like the decline of major attacks in Iraq, because of course, ignorance is bliss to her.
More from USA Today:
Petraeus, who will give his assessment of the boost in troop levels in mid-September, said hundreds of al-Qaeda leaders have been killed or captured in the past month. He cautioned that al-Qaeda still has the "ability to carry out sensational attacks."
Al-Qaeda is generally behind the massive publicity-seeking attacks, but much of the sectarian violence and attacks on coalition forces is the work of Shiite militias, according to the U.S. military.
Also remember the interference we told you about before Petreaus took over? GONE.
In the past, the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had sometimes blocked or criticized U.S. raids in Shiite strongholds. U.S. officers say that kind of interference has diminished. Petraeus said coalition and Iraqi forces have made inroads against Shiite extremist groups.
We also see from AFP, that we are not letting up on the pressure we have been exerting and our focus on counterinsurgency tactics that General Petreaus has implemented.
BAGHDAD (AFP) - US troops in Iraq launched a major assault against Al-Qaeda-linked militants and alleged Iranian-aided extremist groups on Monday as a Sunni leader accused Iran of plotting genocide against his people.
Operation Phantom Strike, the military announced, was being waged nationwide to disrupt Shiite extremist operations and insurgents affiliated to Al-Qaeda, which the Americans blame for most of the violence besieging the country.
"It consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq) terrorists and Iranian-supported extremist elements," the military said.
"My intent is to continue to pressure AQI and other extremist elements throughout Iraq to reduce their capabilities," said Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the number two commander of US forces in Iraq.
The US military declined to elaborate on the operation, citing "security concerns."
"But I can say this effort will be a top priority for combat units operating in Iraq for this period leading up to Ramadan," a spokesman said, referring to the Muslim month of fasting due to begin in the second week of September.
Now I know that good news for Iraq is bad news for the Democrats as per Clyburn, but it is good for America and despite talking out of both sides of their mouths, even Durbin and Casey were forced to admit that the military is making progress, but, when it comes to Iraq the Democratic politicians are only apporoved by 3% of our population, so how much worse can it actually get?
Consider this your good news from Iraq for the day!!!!
Go see some of the reactions to this good news from Iraq.
Some good news from a little closer to home comes to us via The Washington Times:
Federal prosecutors and FBI agents are building a case against a Muslim charity on trial in Dallas on charges of providing financial aid to the terrorist organization Hamas and of raising illicit cash for other extremist groups.
Five officers of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development — once considered the largest Muslim charity in the nation, but which U.S. intelligence officials have called the North American fundraiser for the Islamist terrorist group Hamas — are on trial in Dallas, charged with aiding terrorism, conspiracy and money laundering.
The prosecution has spent the two weeks of the trial so far laying out the connections between U.S. Muslim groups and Middle East terrorists.
FBI agent Lara Burns testified that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was listed as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee, along with the Holy Land Foundation, the Islamic Association for Palestine and the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR).
Miss Burns said CAIR received money from the foundation — an accusation that Nihad Awad, executive director and co-founder of CAIR, denied during congressional testimony in September 2003. She also said Mr. Awad was listed as a member of the Brotherhood's Palestine Committee in America.
Read the rest.
Tracked back by:
Musharraf's "Solutions" for Peace from Stormwarning's Counterterrorism...
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