ABC Looks at Successful Transfer of Authority to Iraqi Soldiers

MRC ^ | Thursday June 30, 2005 | BrentBaker

[fight_truth_decay]

President Bush's speech prodded ABC into airing a good news story from Iraq. "The President last night said Iraqi security forces would be used more and more in place of American troops," ABC anchor Charles Gibson noted. "Well, we have the story of one street in Baghdad where that is happening, successfully." Gibson relayed how Haifa Street in Baghdad "was a no man's land, teeming with insurgents," but "it has become a model of the transformation the Bush administration would like to see all across Iraq." Nick Watt proceeded to relate how the transformation occurred.

Gibson set up the June 29 World News Tonight piece:

"The President last night said Iraqi security forces would be used more and more in place of American troops. Well, we have the story of one street in Baghdad where that is happening, successfully. Not too long ago, Haifa Street was a no man's land, teeming with insurgents. The Iraqi battalion overseeing the street lost 26 men in attacks. But it has become a model of the transformation the Bush administration would like to see all across Iraq. How did that happen?

Here's ABC's Nick Watt."

From Baghdad, Watt narrated: "It's a major Baghdad thoroughfare lined with upscale apartment blocks and food stands. But last year, Haifa Street became known as 'Death Street.' [video of burning cars] Insurgents set up their own checkpoints. They terrorized local people. They ambushed and killed troops who ventured in. For most of last year, Haifa Street was off limits for American and Iraqi soldiers. These troops tell us that insurgent leaders were paying local men $2 for every Iraqi soldier they could kill. Over the past seven months, U.S. and Iraqi troops have turned it around. Four key insurgent leaders were captured, their followers retreated and U.S. forces decided the Iraqi army was ready to take charge. Handing areas like this over to the Iraqis, that's a big step."

SFC Jeffrey Almand, U.S. Army: "Yes, it is. But it's a natural one because it's their neighborhoods."

Watt: "Iraqi troops started patrolling Haifa Street on their own three months ago. Since then, not one of them has been shot, not one killed. 'The people here didn't like the American troops,' says the platoon leader. 'We're Iraqis, so people talk to us. They give us information.' 'They're not foreigners,' said this man. 'If I see something, I tell them.' Now, a woman complains her electricity still isn't working. An Iraqi sergeant orders men laying sewage pipes to speed up. And a coffee shop owner thanks soldiers for bringing peace. 'I couldn't even open my shop for five months because of the violence,' he tells them. 'Now I stay open till midnight.' They don't call it 'Death Street' anymore. Nick Watt, ABC News, Baghdad."

[fight_truth_decay]

Maybe ABC saw CBS reporter Kimberly Dozier's interview: Soldier in Iraq Express Frustrations with Media Coverage :

Captain Christopher Vick, 18th Airborne Corps, standing outside in Iraq:

"I think it's hard for Americans to get up every day and turn on the news and see the horrible things that are going on here because there's no focus on the good things that go on. What they see is another car bomb went off."

Dozier: "Do you think that's exactly what the militants are trying to do?"
Vick: "Sure. You've got to win the information war. I mean, it's, if they can turn public perception away from the good that is happening in this country, then they will eventually win the battle."

[in hoc signo vinces]

So right you are Captain!

[No Longer Free State]

Freep ABC. Tell them to keep up this kind of reporting.

support@abcnews.go.com

[txroadhawg]

I did just that, got to go with the carrot and stick approach with the MSM.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Then sometimes when things are trending heavily in a certain direction the MSM has to try and get out front of it so they can sing the "ME TOO" song.

[txroadhawg]

Kind of like that scene in Animal House during the parade, where the guy in the trench coat runs out and knocks out the band major, grabs the batton and marches around the corner into the dead end alley

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" "I think it's hard for Americans to get up every day and turn on the news and see the horrible things that are going on here because there's no focus on the good things that go on. What they see is another car bomb went off."

Dozier: "Do you think that's exactly what the militants are trying to do?"

Duh.
The Loser media apparently believes that they are not part of the problem.
Imagine if the US media decided on a self imposed moratorium on broadcasting car bomb carnage for a couple of weeks.
The terrorists thrive on the free publicity the US media gives them.
We lose more people every week to automobile accidents , but, NBC doesn't open the news every night with grisly scenes of car wrecks.
But, I suppose they would , if they could figure out a way to blame them on George Bush.

[eraser2005]

This goes back to a major gripe of mine with the Bush admin. and their handling of Iraq. I don't want a timetable, but I do want to see a more concrete plan which is communicated to Iraqis as well. Make it very clear that as their batallions are fully trained, they will get to take over security in neighborhoods and cities and the us troops will begin to pull back (keeping nearby, but less visible). Put them in pacified areas to start to reward peaceful behavior. Everywhere it seems they've done that, its been successful, but its something I don't hear the administration say clearly. Only recently have they said they'll draw down troops as Iraqis can defend themselves, but that's an awfully vague statement for Iraqis to hear. Does that mean in a year, 2, 5, 20? Its entirely possible to publicly present a serious plan that doesn't have timetables but instead gives more of a set of conditions (ie, with an elected government, fully trained batallions can take over primary security in pacified areas as they become active)... then publicize the successes more than you do (not the MSM fault, IMO - the admin has taken a liking to generalized statements rather than pushing concrete verifiable examples like haifa st.)

[No Longer Free State]

The plans exist. The right people know. There are parts of Iraq that have been turned over to Iraqi control and Iraqis know it. Getting any more detailed about future plans only gives the terrorists and insurgents opportunity to plan and derail what we're trying to do. If Ted Kennedy wants to know the plan, all he's got to do is get off his fat ass and fly to Baghdad & get a briefing in a secure environment after promising he won't divulge the plans. The public doesn't need to know the details of our plans, nor do the Iraqis. They just need to see what's already been done and know it will happen for them as their troops become available.

[eraser2005]

I'm not as optimistic as you are - and I don't believe that the average Iraqi has a clue or believes there are any areas under (mostly) Iraqi control. And I don't believe for a second that letting Iraqis know that Iraqis will replace US troops in pacified areas where terrorists are mopped up as they are trained will give the terrorists any advantage or ability to plan that they don't already have.

[fight_truth_decay]

Iraqi troops close to exercise full control over Tikrit
By Mazzen Abdulhameed
Azzaman, June 18, 2005

An Iraqi brigade is exercising almost full control over several towns north of Baghdad, seen as among the most dangerous spots in the country.

The brigade’s commander Abduljabbar Saleh said his troops were in charge of security over an area extending from Dujail to Beiji, about 170 kilometers north of Baghdad.

“My brigade is capable of providing 80 per cent of security needs across this large area and in the light of the kind of weapons at its disposal,” Saleh said.

Most of the area under Saleh’s jurisdiction is situated in the Province of Salahideen of which Tikreet, the hometown of former leader Saddam Hussein, is the capital.

However, Saleh said any boost or extension of the brigade’s duties would require better weapons, supplies and equipment for his men.

“Our ambition is for the Iraqi army to be effectively armed to be able to shoulder full responsibility of security. This is our aim in the future,” Saleh said.

Saleh said his brigade coordinated with U.S. troops in his area but it “carried out 90 per cent of tasks” involved in fighting the terrorists and insurgents in the province.

“Our brigade has begun a new phase of training and we are now carrying out high level military exercise,” he added.

Saleh claimed that there has been “noticeable improvement in the security situation in the province of Salahideen, particularly in the areas under our brigade’s responsibility.”

He said he had also noticed “a large degree of cooperation” on the part of residents in his area.

“We get tips from citizens on individuals and cases threatening the security and life of the people of the province,” he said.

“Those carrying out terror attacks are now Iraqis,” he alleged.

http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2005-06-18\10410.htm

Read any Iraqi bloggers? (Index right hand side)
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

The American media has become too politicized. You won't find the facts there..cold, cold, colder..brrrr. The Administration is only luke warm (I'm being kind) in communicating the successes in Iraq.

[fight_truth_decay]

What I want to say here is that it is our fate to fight terrorism on our own land and we (the majority) have accepted to challenge this fate the day we abandoned Saddam and welcomed our freedom but that's not the case for you in America.
Actually we've got no other choice but to fight and keep fighting until we win over the terrorists because otherwise we'll have to submit to their will and the damage would be irreversible.

Fighting terrorism for us in Iraq is a matter of life or death so we have no choice but to keep fighting until we kill or lock in jail every one of them and we're doing this whether the world supported us or not but in case we failed, the consequences will not be confined by Iraq's borders.
You (the west) can step back and wait for the terrorists to knock on your doors at any minute or you can put your s*** together and fight them while they're thousands of miles away.

This is war, it's not a picnic and don't think that we're enjoying it and we're not expecting you to enjoy it either.
By quitting now some might think that needless losses are going to be avoided but that's-in my opinion-is a very shortsighted way of thinking because quitting now will only expose America and the rest of the world to a much greater threat.

posted by Omar @ 19:57 http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/