Posted on 07/04/2005 3:06:58 PM PDT by jmc1969
For most of last year, a boulevard called Haifa Street in western Baghdad was the scene of daily street battles between U.S. and Iraqi forces and insurgents. The vicious fighting turned the six-kilometer stretch into a long, bloody nightmare for soldiers and residents alike. But the area has become a shining example of how a disciplined and a determined Iraqi force can defeat the insurgents and restore stability.
"Until a few months ago, it was too dangerous for my family and I to even leave the front door open, let alone leave the house," Ms. Saleh says. She points to the pockmarked façade of her apartment building, where stray bullets have dug deep holes into the walls. Near her front door, a mortar has gouged out a large crater in the concrete floor.
Even on days when there was a lull in the fighting, Ms. Saleh says she still could not venture outside. To intimidate residents, insurgents frequently executed people on the road in broad daylight, confident that no one would dare try to stop them or report their activities.
But unlike the city of Fallujah, wresting Haifa Street away from the insurgents has been very much an Iraqi achievement.
The commander of the Iraqi Army's First Brigade, Brigadier General Jalil, says residents here have been responding positively to their efforts, giving his soldiers more tips and a lot more trust.
He says he is grateful to the U.S. military for their help, but he now believes his unit has the confidence and the experience to perform entirely on their own.
Ms. Saleh says, smiling, "I am so proud of them. You can see that they have the situation here under control". She quickly adds, "God willing, they will be able to get control over the rest of the country".
(Excerpt) Read more at voanews.com ...
Faux Quagmire BUMP!
Some good news
Killing bad guys ~ Bump!
Iraqis kickin' some durka durka! Git'er done boys!
It's just heart moving. Iraqis taking control of their destiny... shedding away the evil that has enslaved them for so long. God bless them and the American Forces
Great story, thanks for the ping!
The Baghdad Provincial Council is now giving grants (in the millions of dinars) to families of those security force members killed in action. The move has done much to help the cause.
Good move!
The Army should now offer 100 bucks an ear for foreign fighters captured and killed.
Time to take out the trash.
Not 100 bucks an ear. 100 bucks a testicle. Y'know, to sell to the pig feed producers outside the country.
The Iraqis are really working hard to learn what they need to learn. There is no question of their courage and determination. They have been slaughtered as they volunteered to serve, and their families would send another son to take the place of the one killed.
They have earned our respect.
Thanks for the ping!
WOOHOO! Excellent post, jmc1969!
Thanks for the ping, Sand Rat!
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