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Posted on 08/28/2006 4:46:50 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces, supported by Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad, expanded their combined security effort into the northeast Baghdad neighborhood of Adhamiyah on Sunday in support of Operation Together Forward.
The combined operations are led by the 1st Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, and 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by Iraqi National Police from the 1st Brigade, 1st National Police Division, and Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
The operations are designed to reduce the level of murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence in northern Baghdad, as well as to reinforce the Iraqi government’s control in the city.
The combined forces will secure the district by conducting a cordon and search of the entire area and all of its buildings.
“The Iraqi Security Forces and the Iraqi government are in the lead in planning and conducting these combined operations,” said Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commanding general, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. “We continue to work alongside them in their endeavors to reduce sectarian violence, which has resulted in a 36 percent reduction of murders across the city of Baghdad since we began earlier this month.”
Since Aug. 7, Operation Together Forward has enhanced security for the people of the Doura, Ameriyah, Ghazaliyah and Shula neighborhoods of Baghdad.
Also on Sunday, the commander of U.S. Central Command said he is confident progress is being made on the Baghdad security plan.
Gen. John Abizaid recently visited Baghdad and talked with Iraqi government officials and Gen. George Casey, the highest-ranking military commander in Iraq. Abizaid also had the opportunity see the situation in Baghdad firsthand, moving around the city with Coalition forces.
“It’s still too soon to say how the sectarian violence is going to be (a factor), but the early indications are that we’ve made some good progress against a lot of the … killings that were going on in Baghdad,” he said. “I don’t see it moving toward civil war at this point.”
Abizaid noted the Iraqi security forces in Baghdad - which outnumber Coalition forces - are a combination of Iraqi military and Police.
“We’re very satisfied with the performance of the military forces in Baghdad,” he said. “The Police forces still have a lot of work to do.”
The Iraqi minister of the interior acknowledges that some reforms are needed relatively quickly, Abizaid said. “But we believe we can move it in the right direction,” he added.
On the same day Abizaid praised progress in Baghdad, the Iraqi prime minister told Wolf Blitzer on “CNN Late Edition” that Iraq is not now and never will be in a civil war.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking from Baghdad, praised strides being made in Iraq on the political, economic and security fronts and said that despite news reports to the contrary, violence is on the downswing and Iraq’s new government is succeeding.
Maliki insisted a spirit of reconciliation is taking hold in Iraq. “The violence is not increasing,” he said. “Iraq is not in a civil war. Iraq will never be in a civil war.”
At the same time, the prime minister said Iraq will not allow its neighbors, including Iran, to interfere in its affairs and disrupt the progress being made through combined operations.
While declining to specify exactly how long Iraq will need Coalition forces to reinforce its own security efforts, Maliki said the believes it “won’t be long,” possibly “within a year or less.”
“I don’t want to commit to a certain time or a certain period, but I want to have my best efforts to decrease this time for a year or less, or a few months,” he said.
Still, Maliki emphasized he’s not anxious to see the Coalition leave until the Iraqi security forces are prepared to handle the job alone and ensure progress already made will continue.
The prime minister noted Iraq’s security forces are slated to take control of all provinces by the year’s end and said they’re gaining in both numbers and capability every day.
“Our security ability is increasing,” he said.
GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ!
you'ld never know it from the MSM's bomb a day highlight...
GOOD NEWS FROM IRAQ!
BAD NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS!
CHICA-BOOM!
CHICA-BOOM!
DON'T CHA-JUST LUV IT!
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