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Should we declare victory over al Qaeda in the battle of Iraq? The very question would have seemed proof of dementia only a few months ago, yet now some highly respected military officers, including the commander of Special Forces in Iraq, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, reportedly feel it is justified by the facts on the ground. These people are not suggesting that the battle is over. They all insist that there is a lot of fighting ahead, and even those who believe that al Qaeda is crashing and burning in a death spiral on the Iraqi battlefields say that the surviving...

EXPEDITIONARY PATROL BASE - DULAB, Iraq (Oct. 10, 2007) -- Marines with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, kicked off Operation Bell Hurriyah in the Anbar Province. The operation is intended to disrupt enemy activity in the battalion’s area of operations during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “Traditionally Ramadan has seen a spike of insurgent activity, and we’re trying to prevent that,” said 1st Lt. Oliver W. Buccicone, the executive officer with the battalion’s Company A. “Last year, there were over 300 incidents during the 30-day period in this area alone.” In the Muslim community, Ramadan...

In a town tucked tight against the Syrian border, US Marines pass softly along a darkened street as the crack of contact rings out. Instead of a panicked rush for cover, the leader of the patrol turns to cheer. The familiar sound was not from the barrel of gun but the baize of an upstairs pool hall. A transformation has swept western Iraq that allows Marines to walk through areas that a year ago were judged lost to radical Islam control and hear nothing more aggressive than a late-night game of pool.

Army Captain Travis Patriquin was killed by an IED during an operation near Ramadi in Iraq’s Al Anbar province on December 6, 2006. Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, a Sunni Muslim, was also killed by a bomb in Al Anbar nine months later, on September 13, 2007. The two were connected to each other in this life, and share a connection that will continue after their passing.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2007 – Tired of al Qaeda-committed brutal acts, armed groups of Euphrates River Valley residents are working with Iraqi army and coalition forces to pacify an area once known as the “triangle of death,” a senior U.S. military officer said today. “We’ve really seen a dramatic reversal in the security situation,” said Army Col. Michael Kershaw, commander of 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. The emergence of these citizens groups about four or five months ago was a turning point in efforts to establish stability within his area of operations, Kershaw told Pentagon reporters via satellite...

Violence has declined so sharply in Ramadi that few journalists bother to visit these days. It’s “boring,” most say, and it’s hard to get a story out there – especially for daily news reporters who need fresh scoops every day. Unlike most journalists, I am not a slave to the daily news grind and took the time to embed with the Army and Marines in late summer. ................“We don’t need to wear body armor or helmets,” he said. I was poleaxed. Without even realizing it, I had taken off my body armor and helmet. I took my gear off as...

A suspected Al Qaeda in Iraq fighter believed responsible for the assassination of a U.S.-allied Sunni tribal leader in Anbar province was arrested north of Baghdad, the military said Sunday. Fallah Khalifa Hiyas Fayyas al-Jumayli, an Iraqi also known as Abu Khamis, was seized Saturday in a raid west of Balad after intelligence reports linked him to the killing of Sheik Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the military said. He was not believed to be acting alone and the search continued for other suspects, military spokesman Rear. Adm. Mark Fox said.

Sunni Arab tribes in Anbar, the western Iraqi province, have vowed to avenge the killing of Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, their leader. He died in a roadside-bomb attack near his home in Ramadi, the provincial capital, on Thursday. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha was leader of the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of clans that supported the Iraqi government and US forces in fighting al-Qaeda in the province. Thousands of people gathered in Ramadi to attend Friday's funeral. "We blame al-Qaeda and we are going to continue our fight and avenge his death," Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, brother of Abdul Sattar...

Ramadi: Sunni Arab Iraqis on Friday vowed to keep fighting Al Qaida after the assassination of a tribal leader who fought terrorism in the country. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha was killed in a bomb attack on Thursday near his home in Ramadi, less than two weeks after he met US President George W. Bush. "All the tribes agreed to fight Al Qaida until the last child in Anbar," said his brother, Ahmed Abu Risha. US forces in Anbar also made the same pledge. Abu Risha was buried in the same Ramadi cemetery where his father and brother were buried. Risha...

By Jim Miklaszewski Chief Pentagon correspondent NBC News Updated: 7:26 p.m. ET Sept 12, 2006 Jim Miklaszewski Chief Pentagon correspondent • Profile WASHINGTON - A new military intelligence report offers up the most pessimistic assessment yet of military prospects for al-Anbar province, the vast no-man's land in western Iraq that has seen some of the fiercest fighting of the war — from hard-hit Fallujah to the provincial capital Ramadi, which the U.S. military has never controlled. A top secret report by a Marine Corps intelligence officer says there's no chance the U.S. military can end insurgent violence in al-Anbar, and...

RAMADI, Iraq - When members of the government of Anbar Province met with President Bush last week, they presented him with a letter dedicating their success in wiping out Al Qaeda here to the victims of Sept. 11 The letter, which was obtained by the Daily News, was signed by Anbar Governor Mamoun Sami Rashid, Provincial Council Chairman Abdul-Salam Abdullah, and Sheik Sattar abu Risha, the sheik credited with beginning the Anbar Awakening. "In the month when the terrorists attacked the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, we dedicate the victory of Anbar Province to the families of the...

A week ago, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and self-described member of the Democratic leadership insulted the U. S. Marines who have fought, killed and died to make Anbar Province a showcase of the road to victory and relative peace in Iraq. *** Now, though, after a week of derision in the blogosphere, though without any significant coverage by the legacy media, Senator Schumer has brought out his magic eraser and re-written history.

SAQLAWIYAH — The Marines of Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, and local Iraqi Police recently swept through the farmlands outside Habbaniyah while conducting Operation Street Sweeper II, to rid the area of insurgents and their deadly tools. “We are sweeping through the roads, houses and fields of our area of operation for anything suspicious,” said Cpl. Brian L. Pauluchuk, a team leader with 1st platoon, Company C. “We are trying to find any weapons caches or IEDs.” The Marines woke in the middle of the night and rode in armored trucks to the operations...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces have reduced violence and driven al Qaeda out of strongholds in Iraq’s Anbar province, President Bush said today during his first radio address since his surprise visit there earlier this week to visit troops and assess progress. “Success in Anbar is critical to the democratic future of Iraq and to the war on terror,” Bush said, as he described the significance of the province that spans nearly a third of the country and until recently served as al Qaeda’s main headquarters for operations throughout Iraq. The president commended the local...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretarySeptember 8, 2007 President's Radio Address   President's Radio Address  Audio  En Español       In Focus: Iraq THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Earlier this week, I traveled to Iraq's Anbar Province to visit our troops and see with my own eyes the remarkable changes they are making possible. If you want to see some photos from this trip, go to whitehouse.gov where you can view a slideshow of my visit. Success in Anbar is critical to the democratic future of Iraq and to the war on terror. This largely Sunni province covers nearly a third of Iraq....

"Today" newsreader Ann Curry managed to work a not-so-subtle shot at President Bush into her news recap this morning. ANN CURRY: The U.S. military is reporting that seven U.S. troops were killed on Thursday, four Marines in fighting in Anbar Province, where President Bush hailed gains in security this week, and three soldiers who died in a roadside bombing in northern Iraq. Their deaths bring the U.S. toll to 3,750 since the war began. Yes, Ann, the war is not over in al-Anbar and elsewhere in Iraq. Marines and other members of our military continue to make heroic sacrifices. That...

Chuck Schumer, senior Senator from New York and self-described member of the Democratic leadership team in the Senate, really knows how to make friends and influence people. This morning, in a speech on the Senate floor, he explicitly told the U. S. Marines in Anbar province that they've failed and are a part of the problem, not part of the solution. Let me be clear. The violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge. The inability of American soldiers to protect these tribes from al-Qaeda said to these tribes, "We have to fight al-Qaeda...

Excerpt From Ghosts of Anbar, Part III of IV A Model for Success ~~ The Persuasive Power of Character This is where Marines live, surrounded by Hesco barriers, and where some months ago a large car bomb rammed the tower closest. I was told that as the bomber was racing toward the tower, the guard jumped out the back and flew like Superman just before the detonation. He survived. From the counterinsurgency manual that every Marine and Soldier should read: ~~~~~~~ Sometimes, the More You Protect Your Force, the Less Secure You May Be 1-149. Ultimate success in COIN is...

... Overall, the segment is solid, militarily accurate, and surprisingly thorough considering the time allowed. She interviews Iraqis of various stripes, and among them there seems to be an underlying thread that the anti-war crowd (I’m not saying Katie’s a member) can no longer deny: As one tribal leader, Sheik Saddoun Al Bou’issa, explains, Al Qaeda “says they care about Islam … but they’re lying.” Thirty members of his tribe were killed by terrorists, and his greatest worry is that Al Qaeda will return if the Americans leave. ...

Harsh justice where U.S. relies on Iraq tribes Tue Sep 4, 2007 6:41 AM EDT By Peter Graff AL QAIM, Iraq (Reuters) - Seated between his police chief and a U.S. Marine battalion commander, the Iraqi mayor opened his weekly security meeting by explaining how he had authorized one of the local tribes to carry out a summary execution. The police had caught two men who had killed another policeman. "As you all know, the Iraqi court system is still weak," said Mayor Farhan Ftehkhan, while an interpreter translated for the benefit of the Americans. "Yesterday I met the sheikhs,...

Click link for video - Special thanks to Youtube user Firejack007: The Commander-in-Chief along with the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and many high ranking generals, gave a speech to the troops in a surprise visit to Iraq. The sound is somewhat distorted by some of the applause and cheers from the troops in the audience. I also added a very fitting piece from LOTR.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007 – Local tribes siding with coalition forces to repel al Qaeda must be incorporated into Iraq’s central government and its security forces, a senior Defense Department official said. The official spoke to reporters on background while traveling to Iraq with Defense Department Secretary Robert M. Gates. Gates joined President Bush and other top U.S. officials in a surprise meeting here today. It is likely the president’s last meeting with all key leaders before deciding the course of U.S. involvement in Iraq. The official told reporters in flight than an “awakening” of tribal...

We've been getting some reports about the improvement in security in Anbar in the last few months but little was said about the highway that runs across the province. The several hundred kilometer western section of the international highway is technically Iraq's second "port" in a way as it connects Iraq with Syria and Jordan and was for years the only window to the world when all airports and the southern ports in Basra were closed to traffic in the 1990s. For most of the time between 2004 and 2007 taking this road was considered suicidal behavior as the chance...

Can the Second Coming be far distant? Given the glimpses of truth beginning to filter through the pages of darkness typically published by the Main Stream Media, one wonders. First, in June, The New York Times surprises all several hundred of its remaining readers with a major news story reporting the developing sense of peace spreading across the battlefield that was Anbar province. Anbar, for nearly three years it was regarded as the most hopeless space and people in all Iraq. It was hopeless. A year after putting into effect the strategies developed by General David Petraeus, Anbar knows evenings,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 – Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today. (Video) Speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province, Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said counterinsurgencies are fought and won “neighborhood by neighborhood, with the focus on protecting the population and improving conditions in the community.” Charlton commands a true joint and combined force in central Anbar province. His brigade combat team consists of about 6,000 Army, Marine,...

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces are consolidating gains they have made in Iraq’s Anbar province, the coalition’s ground commander in the region said today. “A gunshot heard right now in the city of Ramadi is a rare thing,” Marine Brig. Gen. Mark Gurganus said during a phone interview. Ramadi was the site of pitched fighting between Sunni insurgents and coalition forces. Al Qaeda in Iraq directed the fighting, and thousands of innocent Iraqis paid the price. Today, Ramadi is safe enough to bring the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff into downtown for a...

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2007 – The Marine Corps’ top officer said yesterday he is “heartily encouraged” by the progress Iraqi and coalition forces are making in Iraq’s Anbar province. “We have seen large numbers of Sunni tribesmen, at the encouragement of their sheikhs and their imams, come forward to join the Iraqi security forces,” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway told an audience at the National Press Club here. “We see that as a very positive thing.” The general said the past six months have seen a 60 percent decline in attacks, a 400 percent increase in enemy weapons...

Iraqi and Coalition forces remain on the offensive in the Baghdad Belts of eastern Anbar province, northern Babil and Diyala, as the bulk of the major suicide and bombing attacks have shifted to the northern regions of Iraq. Kirkuk has seen a massive suicide attack during the past week, while insurgents targeted two bridges in western Anbar province, where U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a multi-brigade operation. Diyala Arrowhead Ripper in the provincial capital of Baqubah has now expanded into the eastern sector of the city, called Old Baqubah. The eastern portion of Baqubah has been cordoned, and Iraqi...

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 – The security situation in Anbar province has greatly improved in recent months, thanks to additional U.S. troops provided by the surge and the growing presence of trained and vetted Iraqi soldiers and police, a senior U.S. military officer said today. (Video) Statistics show that daily insurgent-generated violence, as measured by small-arms, mortar and improvised-explosive-device attacks, has decreased in Anbar since this time last year, Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commanding general of Multinational Force West, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference. “I can report that the future of the province looks...

RAMADI — Along the banks of the Euphrates River, 400 municipal leaders and local professionals gathered July 7 for the “Promise of the People” conference in Ramadi. “This conference is very important,” said Col. John Charlton, 1st Brigade Combat Team commander. “It’s very important from the standpoint that it shows a continued resolve from the tribal leaders to maintain unity against al-Qaida, support of the Iraqi security forces, and the government of Iraq, as well as support of the efforts of the coalition Forces.” He said the conference occurred despite a recent attack against the tribes of al Anbar. “This...

RAMADI, Iraq: Sunni merchants watched warily from behind neat stacks of fruit and vegetables as Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno walked with a platoon of bodyguards through the Qatana bazaar here one recent afternoon. At last, one leathery-faced trader glanced furtively up and down the narrow, refuse-strewn street to check who might be listening, then broke the silence. "America good! Al Qaeda bad!" he said in halting English, flashing a thumb's-up in the direction of the second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq.

"The key to turning [Anbar] around was the shift in allegiance by tribal sheiks. But the sheiks turned only after a prolonged offensive by American and Iraqi forces, starting in November, that put al-Qaeda groups on the run." -- The New York Times, July 8 Finally, after four terribly long years, we know what works. Or what can work. A year ago, a confidential Marine intelligence report declared Anbar province (which comprises about a third of Iraq's territory) lost to al-Qaeda. Now, in what the Times's John Burns calls an " astonishing success," the tribal sheiks have joined our side...

Twenty-three terrorist killed after massing on Donkey Island U.S. Army forces, with the help of Iraqi police, beat back an attempted al Qaeda in Iraq assault on Ramadi on June 30 and July 1. At least 23 insurgents "affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq" were killed in a series of raids against Donkey Island, which sits about 3 miles south of Ramadi. "Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces received reports that a significant number of anti-Iraqi forces had gathered on the outskirts of Ramadi to stage a series of large scale attacks," Multinational Forces Iraq reported. "The group, affiliated with al...

Hit, Anbar Province, Iraq The city of Hit (pronounced “heat”) is a spot of green in the desert on the western bank of the Euphrates. The temperature is steadily rising here as the weeks melt into the mirage of summer; the haze shimmering at about 115°F now. The air was blowing hot and dry through the city Tuesday morning 29 May, when I accompanied LTC Doug Crissman for another day of meetings with local leaders in Hit and surrounding towns in Anbar Province. Crissman and the soldiers of Task Force 2-7 Infantry under his command have been welcomed in the...

Al-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - Iraq's prime minister, the U.S. commander and the American ambassador flew to the blistering western Iraqi desert Saturday in a rare joint outing to highlight progress in the fight against insurgents in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province. Once the site of some of the fiercest fighting in the country, Anbar — which includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi — has grown calmer in recent months with the flowering of a new alliance among Sunni tribal leaders, the Iraqi government and U.S. led forces. However, al-Qaida in Iraq is still active in the province and continues...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2007 – Two Navy SEALs who recently returned from Iraq shared some of their combat experiences and described the progress they witnessed in Anbar province, during a panel discussion yesterday at the Naval Heritage Center here. Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian, a heavy weapons operator and breacher, and Lt. Chris, SEAL Team Five Bravo Platoon’s commander -- who are identified only by their first names for security reasons. They spent seven months in Anbar province training Iraqi security forces to operate independently. The SEALs painted an unfiltered picture of their experience on Camp Corregidor in the...

War On Terror: In both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces are making further impressive gains against terrorists. Don't expect Democrats to let that stop them from claiming that we're losing. As part of the new surge strategy in Iraq, U.S. Marines and Iraqi army forces have arrested 250 terrorists in the large, once-unmanageable western province of Anbar, it was reported on Sunday. Operation Harris Ba'sil, or "Valiant Guardian," reached completion after eight weeks of disrupting enemy routes and shelters outside cities. "We uncovered more than 250 caches, arrested over 250 suspected insurgents and discovered over 100 improvised explosive devices," Lt....

Am still in Anbar and just went another day without hearing a single shot fired. Am out with a small group of Marines who live with a much larger group of Iraqis. I enjoy the Iraqi food more than the food at the dining facilities. Some of the Marines out here live in shipping containers. Their "toilet" is WAG bag. (Waste Alleviation and Gelling.) It's every bit as exciting as it sounds. Basically it's a little ziplock baggie -- one-time use only. I was told that a chemical munition (artillery shell) was found within the last few days. Today, went...

The key to saving Iraq from the scourge of Al-Qaeda is to subject captured fighters to the swift and deadly rule of tribal justice, according to the leader of a powerful new armed movement. Sheikh Hamid al-Hais leads the Anbar Salvation Council, the paramilitary wing of a coalition of Sunni tribes from Iraq's western desert, and he has a simple message for his new American allies in his battle with the insurgents. "I always tell the Americans 'Why detain the enemy? Leave him to me, don't detain him,'" he chuckled during an interview with AFP in a Baghdad hotel. Murderers...

Nick Roberson reports.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Reports of fighting between al Qaeda in Iraq and Sunni militants surfaced Tuesday, the latest hints of rising tensions between the two allied groups.Other reports have emerged this year of tensions between Sunni fighters and the Sunni-dominated al Qaeda in Iraq, particularly from Anbar province, long a favored turf for indigenous Sunni insurgents and foreign fighters infiltrating Iraq from Syria.The unconfirmed reports from tribal leaders to Iraqi government officials indicate that Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed Tuesday in fighting between al Qaeda militants and Sunni tribal fighters from Abu...

Officials at Anbar province estimated security improvement rate at 75% compared with last year, they added, that improvement caused by cooperation between Govt offices and tribes which led to cleanse 80% of areas from Qaeda, and they hope more stability to launch largest reconstruction operation in the province costs ID188B.While Anbar's mayor Dr. Abdulsalam Mohamed mentioned plans to follow Qaeda, armed men and outlaws inside and outside cities, he foreshadowed of declaring wiping out all terrorists

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2007 – Changes in Iraq’s Anbar province and the failure of the Taliban spring offensive in Afghanistan are good signs, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during an interview today on his way home from Iraq and Afghanistan. During his flight home, Marine Gen. Peter Pace spoke about his trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq he took part in a series of meetings with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates; Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, the commander of U.S. Central Command; Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq; and Army...

An Iraqi government source says the country's security forces killed two key insurgent leaders with the help of Iraqi tribes leaders in Al-Anbar province. The Interior Ministry source said the operation, which also resulted in the arrest of 37 al-Qaida linked terrorists, brought about the deaths of Ahmad Hadid, leader of the so-called "Islamic State in Fallujah," and Al-Anbar Ibrahim Keitan, al-Qaida's military coordinator in the province, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported Saturday. Iraqi police working with Bu Eisa tribesmen also arrested six other terrorists in south Amiriyah and arrested 11 al-Qaida suspects in the Euphrates area. Documents and...

CBNNews.com - WASHINGTON - It wasn't long ago that people were comparing parts of Iraq to the American Wild West. The Anbar province has served as a nerve center for al-Qaeda since the early days of the insurgency- some might call it al-Qaeda Country. It's estimated that more than 8,000 Iraqis have been killed or injured by insurgent attacks in Anbar province. Cities such as Fallujah and Ramadi have long been trouble spots for U.S. troops The campaign of terror has led to power and influence in the predominantly Sunni region. The Anbar Salvation FrontBut many tribal leaders here are...

The United States is maintaining the pressure on Iran for its support of both Shia militias and Sunni insurgents. Yet again, Multinational Forces Iraq has detailed the Iranian involvement in supplying weapons and support for the Shia militias. In today's press brief, Major General William Caldwell also stated some aid from Iranian intelligence services was being given to Sunni insurgents. The United States has also rejected the Iranian demand that five Iranian Qods Force officers captured in Irbil last January be released. Iran has been pressing for their release, particularly since the release last week of 15 British sailors and...

OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN - The long U.S. effort to stabilize western Iraq, a hotbed of the Sunni Arab insurgency, has reached a turning point with new prospects for success, the top Marine general said Monday. "I think, in that area, we have turned the corner," Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in an Associated Press interview as he flew back to Washington after four days in Iraq. His assessment of Anbar province marks a sharp departure from the view that prevailed for much of the past four years, a time of deadly battles with the...

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2007 – Over the last year, coalition forces have laid the foundation for stability and provincial Iraqi control in Anbar province, the commander of Multinational Force West said today. “Our strategy of clear, hold and build, combined with an energized governmental and tribal engagement, is beginning to bear fruit,” Marine Maj. Gen. Walt Gaskin told reporters at the Pentagon via satellite. Progress is evident in the region’s increased Iraqi security forces recruiting figures, decreased number of attacks, and in the upswing in economic commerce, he said. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s benchmark visit to the region, Gaskin...

Soldiers, Iraqis discuss goals, expectations for Ta'meem district. By Spc. Ricardo Branch 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs CAMP RAMADI, Iraq, March 9, 2007 — A cooperation, a presence and a movement by the people - these are the things that have improved conditions in the Anbar providence so Ramadi could begin rebuilding, said U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. John Allen, deputy commander Multi-National Forces - West following a reconstruction and economic growth conference March 7 in Ramadi. The conference brought together coalition commanders and prominent city officials to highlight some of the upcoming reconstruction projects for the Ta'meem district in...

Thursday's battle in the village of Amiriya, just south of Fallujah, highlights the ongoing battle between the Sunni tribes and al-Qaeda in Anbar province. At least 50 al-Qaeda were killed and 80 captured in the largest battles between al-Qaeda and Iraqi police, Army and the Anbar Salvation Council in Anbar province this year. Once intelligence source claims the figure of 50 al-Qaeda killed is low, and the number is likely over 100. The Iraqi police in Amiriya held off the attack, and radioed for backup from Iraqi Army, police and members of the Thurwa al-Anbar, the tribal militias assembled by...