Posted on 04/01/2005 12:20:24 AM PST by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2005 – The number of terrorist incidents in Iraq have dropped to the lowest level since March 2004, defense officials said. There are between 40 and 60 incidents each day in the country, they said, sharply down from the terrorist effort in the week of the Iraqi elections in January.
Even this doesn’t tell the whole story. Of those incidents, roughly half have no effect. This means terrorists launch an attack, but no lives are lost, nor is any property damaged.
But “let’s not downplay this,” said a senior defense official. “Some of the attacks are horrendous, like the attack on the mosque in Hillah that killed more than 100 Iraqis.”
Such terror attacks – directed solely against innocent Iraqi men, women and children -- are causing many Iraqis who would not normally care to come out against the terrorists. In contrast to the terrorism, average Iraqis see the security effort as heroic.
But the key event was the elections. The Iraqi people – battered by Saddam Hussein for a generation – stood up and voted. A people arose from the spiritual ashes of the Hussein regime and took a huge step toward getting back their self-respect.
In Mosul, a city with the most terror attacks in the country, the people have turned against the insurgents. Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke about Mosul’s citizens and their stand against terror during a visit to Arizona March 29. He said that before elections, the Iraqi Joint Coordination Center had one hotline for Iraqis to use to call in a report problems. “And it wasn’t used all that much,” the chairman said.
Today, the JCC has five hotlines and they need more. Mosulis are taking an active role against the terrorists.
The coalition and Iraqi security forces are working to apply pressure against insurgents all over the country. In the past, the coalition would confront insurgents in one place and the insurgents would simply move to another area. But with more Iraqi forces available for use, commanders are able to keep the pressure against insurgents up at all parts of the country.
“This will only increase as the number of Iraqi forces increase,” said coalition officials in Baghdad. “But we have to remember, the enemy will flow to the weakest area.”
It is not just force that pays dividends for coalition and Iraqi forces. The coalition has hired Iraqis to rebuild the neglected infrastructure. In Sadr City, many residents are getting dependable electricity, clear water, sewers and garbage disposal for the first time in their lives. That has cut the number of incidents in the area substantially, officials said.
The same scenario is playing out in other areas of Iraq, such as Fallujah and Mosul and Samarra with, officials hope, the same results.
Officials in the Pentagon and in Baghdad caution that the number of attacks ebbs and flows and the number may increase. They also caution that the Iraqi National Assembly has to name a president, deputy presidents and prime minister and begin the serious work of governing the country and writing a new constitution soon.
But in the meantime, all the trend lines in Iraq are rising, with the exception of attacks.
Fewer Americans killed as terror attacks lessen
American deaths in Iraq this month dropped to the lowest in a year while insurgent attacks have fallen dramatically since the Jan 30 elections, say researchers.
Forty-one American military personnel died in March, including three announced yesterday, the lowest monthly toll in over a year and an indicator, say American diplomats, that the insurgency may be easing.
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said attacks against American forces had dropped by at least 25 per cent since autumn, when a major offensive was launched against the stronghold of Fallujah.
Attacks then ranged from 80 to 90 a day, he said. Pentagon officials said they were down to 40 to 45 a day in recent weeks, lower than the pre-election average of 50 to 60 a day. The fall in deaths is attributed to improved security around military bases. Now militants are focusing their attacks on Iraqi government and security officials.
But Republicans in Washington are encouraged by intelligence reports saying the resistance may have peaked.
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The terrorists are losing, Democracy is winning in Iraq.
..... And Hillary and the Democrats are deeply saddened.
"Such terror attacks – directed solely against innocent Iraqi men, women and children -- are causing many Iraqis who would not normally care to come out against the terrorists. In contrast to the terrorism, average Iraqis see the security effort as heroic. "
Note that the Iraqis are realizing, that the terrorists are THEIR enemies and are fighting back!
I am not through with them yet.
Sorry for the slight rant.
Anyway,thanks for the post.
THIS IS DAMN GOOD NEWS!
I also noticed the way most MSM downplays the good news, saying that the attacks on Americans are down, but the attacks on Iraqis are up -- instead of addressing that the TOTAL attacks are down and that the Iraqis are starting to stand up to the terrorists.
The Terrorists LOST in Iraq, this is the beginning of their end, and the end of a beginning for a new, Democratic Iraq.
And considering that Al Qaeda made Iraq as their big stand, THEY LOST and everyone can see it.
And MSM also doesn't report this part:
"Even this doesn’t tell the whole story. Of those incidents, roughly half have no effect. This means terrorists launch an attack, but no lives are lost, nor is any property damaged."
The internet has been the biggest help of all.
Again, Great News! :o)
Good action, way to take on the stoopid pressitudes...if I still rec'd a local paper I would be on the horn too!
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