Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 09/25/06 12:50 pm:
Violence in Baghdad Down 41 Percent, Says Coalition Colonel
Progress shows Iraqi government's commitment to improving citizens' daily lives
By David McKeeby
Washington File Staff Writer
The past two weeks have seen a 41 percent decline in violent attacks across Baghdad, Iraq, according to a top coalition officer supporting Iraqi forces.
U.S. Army Colonel Robert Scurlock, appearing via videoconference from Baghdad as part of an August 25 Pentagon press briefing, said that “Operation Together Forward,” the Iraqi-planned and led effort to step up security in the capital, is making progress and shows that “the government of Iraq is committed to the fight against terrorists, and is committed to bringing a better way of life to all Iraqis.”
Scurlock commands the 3,500-strong Combat Team of the Army’s 1st Armored Division, which is partnered with 5,000 personnel from Iraqi army and police units who are working to bring peace to the communities of western Baghdad. More than 1.3 million Iraqis live in the combat team’s 300-square-kilometer area of operations, which spans from the farmlands of Abu Ghraib, along the Tigris River, and into some of the capital’s toughest neighborhoods.
This summer has seen record levels of violence in Baghdad, from terrorist and insurgent attacks to militants engaged in sectarian violence to criminal gangs preying on Iraqi citizens. In response, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced an initiative to secure they city, and Iraqi authorities worked with their coalition allies to surge army and police units into areas with the highest levels of violence.
On August 13, Scurlock’s combat team moved into Baghdad’s Amiriyah neighborhood to support an Iraqi army brigade as it initiated a counterinsurgency strategy to “isolate, clear, hold, and build” the struggling community.
Iraqi troops, with coalition support, cordoned off the area and conducted house-to-house searches, seeking suspected perpetrators of violence and seizing illegal weapons. Then Iraqi army and police units began regular patrols, as well as targeted, “intelligence-driven” combat operations to bring insurgents, terrorists, and other criminals remaining in Amiriyah to justice.
As a result, Scurlock said, violence has dropped significantly in Amiriyah, from 29 murders in the month before the neighborhood was secured to only three since Iraqi and coalition forces restored order. Similar operations in other areas of Baghdad also have proven successful, he said, noting that since “Operation Together Forward” began, violent incidents across the city have dropped from 52 per day in July to 31 per day – a 41 percent decrease.
Once a symbol of fear and repression under Saddam Hussein, soldiers and police from the new Iraq’s security forces are gaining the confidence of the citizens they are committed to serve and protect, he added. In their daily interactions with area residents, Scurlock said, Iraqi forces are showing their ability to conduct thorough searches, interact positively with the Iraqi people and treat all Iraqis, regardless of ethnic or sectarian identity, with dignity and respect.
“They are a young force,” he said, “but they are making progress.”
A third element of the strategy, Scurlock said, is working with local leaders to identify and fund trash removal, sewer system repairs and other civil works projects to restore essential services and empower residents to take back their community.
“These operations set the conditions for us to work with the local governments to get the essential services functioning again,” he said, “We are now helping the local governments to get these systems in place for the long term so the people of Iraq can have a safe place to raise their children, get back to work and get back to a secure, normal life.”
“To have people in Amiriyah playing [football] in the streets and opening shops and picking up trash and assisting us in clearing debris in their streets, talking about the upcoming school season … getting back to a normal life, it demonstrates that confidence that they have that things are getting better,” Scurlock said.
But, he said, terrorists, insurgents, and sectarian groups continue to challenge the community with isolated attacks and death threats to local leaders. Lasting success will take time and continued commitment to help the Iraqi government in its goal to become a peaceful and prosperous nation.
“Ultimately,” he said, “the only solution in Iraq is an Iraqi solution. The people of Baghdad will have to come together, reject acts of violence and support both their government and their security forces.”
“The people are gaining confidence, and I think we're making progress,” he said. “I remain cautiously optimistic … and I think we're going to succeed.”
RUMSFELD MEETS WITH IRAQ’S DEPUTY PRESIDENT
Iraqi and coalition forces’ progress in securing Baghdad also figured prominently in an August 25 meeting in Washington between Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Iraqi Deputy President Adil Al-Mahdi.
“The last periods of July and August have been successful,” Rumsfeld said. “We're seeing a reduction in the levels of violence and in the numbers of attacks in the areas, particularly that the forces have been able to clear.”
Baghdad’s security is a key issue, Al-Mahdi told journalists, as are reconstruction efforts in the 70 percent of the country that is effectively secured, and the government’s growing national reconciliation dialogue, which is bringing together representatives from Iraq’s many communities to encourage them to join in building a unified, peaceful, and prosperous Iraq.
“The Iraqi people think that there is no other issue but victory in Iraq, Al-Mahdi said. “The [coalition forces] are supporting the Iraqi people and will continue to support and have the sympathy of Iraqis.”
During his visit to the United States, Al-Mahdi also met with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley.
A transcript and a video link of Scurlock’s briefing, as well as a transcript of Rumsfeld and Al-Mahdi’s remarks, are available from the Department of Defense Web site.
For more information, see Iraq Update.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Clarification/Follow-up by excon on 09/25/06 2:03 pm:
Hello again, El.
No, no, I understand. You look for, and not surprisingly find, stuff that supports your adgenda. I got it. So do I.
I was only pointing out, that the INTELLIGENCE SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA say that the Iraq war is causing terrorisim to spread. That's All the intelligence services - every one. The ones who work for George W. Bush - his guys - Necroponte included.
And, you bring out some hack colonel......
I dunno, El. They somehow don't carry the same weight, at least to me. But, I'm seeking truth, not justifications.....
excon
Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 09/25/06 2:59 pm:
Like you said, excon, I didn't print the article... I just posted it. And it directly contra-indicates the one you posted.
So... I have a statement from a bunch of analysts sitting in an office in Virginia, and I have a Full Bird on the ground in Iraq telling you what his DIRECT EXPERIENCE and that of his troops has been.
And you give more weight to the desk jockeys.
And you accuse ME of picking and choosing articles that fit my agenda and looking for justifications?
Elliot
Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 09/25/06 8:12 pm:
Cap'n,
>>Our presence in the Middle East has certainly inspired increased animosity among those who see us as the "evil empire."<<
Really? That nice little chant "Death to America" began in earnest in the Middle East in 1979 - that would be 27 years ago this November.
