[CWOJackson]

This is a fantastic article...it goes a long way to explaining what was really going on at al-Sadr. Far from the caving in so many are claiming.

[Grig]

[freeangel]

"thank you for capturing me not killing me"(this means he will be released so that he can kill more infidels).

[Tribune7]

What is clear is this: U.S. forces had pushed al-Sadr's fighters into two final strongholds in Kufa and Najaf by the end of last week and brought the United States to the cusp of solving one of the thorniest problems ahead of the June 30 hand-over of power to the Iraqi people.

U.S. commanders estimated that there were 2,500 al-Mahdi fighters across the country at the beginning of the uprising. By late last week, they believed there were fewer than 500.

This is from Knight-Ridder??

[Asclepius]

Before setting the battle plan, Dempsey had to figure out his foe and motivations. "We had to embark on a course that maintained local, general popular support - at least neutrality," Dempsey said.

This is a brilliant commander. Imagine when he and others like him begin to enter public life as executives or elected officials. Imagine a President Dempsey with these qualities of command and resolve and a patient and methodical attention to detail.

We do not deserve defenders like these. But thank God we have them.

[Tribune7]

Things weren't as bad as they seemed.

[Lady In Blue]

Thank you for posting this article. I sure hope that all of our armed chair generals will read this! Absolutely BRILLIANT TACTICS by our guys!

[GBA]

There's no way I'd ever get to read this in a local paper or see this story on the national news. The reason? It shows our forces to be the smart, well trained, disciplined professional soldiers we know them to be. And...it makes me feel even more proud to be an American. What an awesome post!

I admit to sometimes feeling like we should just level the place, but our commanders have it right: take out the enemy while winning the hearts and minds of the people. I've read that the Iraqis won't soon forget how the UN used them in the Oil for Food program. Let's hope that they don't forget who liberated them and helped them to re-build.

The one thing my mom taught me was to leave things better than you found them. My mom would be proud of our troops. I know I am!

[solzhenitsyn]

A wonderful story. Thank you, saquin.

[Cap Huff]

If you have not already seen this article, it gives an interesting perspective.