Baqubah Still Functioning, Military Commander Reports

American Forces Press Service ^

[SandRat]

BAQUBAH, Iraq, Nov. 30, 2006 -- The city of Baqubah is fully operational despite media reports to the contrary, the senior coalition forces commander for Iraq’s Diyala province said here today.

“The erroneous reports are clearly an effort by some individuals to paint a picture of disarray and hysteria to destabilize the province,” Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, said.

The city’s government center is open and most of the ministries are present for work, as are the city workers, the health care providers, and ambulances, Sutherland said.

"The mosques are open, and the market in Baqubah has seen a rise in business as fresh fruits and vegetables are arriving and being sold daily,” the colonel said. “We also see construction projects progressing in the area, people going to the markets and walking the streets daily.”

Iraqi police are manning seven critical checkpoints, and the Iraqi army is manning four others, Sutherland said. Another checkpoint is jointly manned by both forces, he added.

Sutherland acknowledged that Iraqi police fled when the Buhriz police station was attacked Nov. 27. He said the station will be rebuilt, fully manned and operational soon, and that the incident doesn’t represent the quality of the police force throughout the city.

"That's not indicative of the situation in all the other stations in the city," Sutherland said. "The IPs are going through challenges with their leadership, logistics, and training. However, day in and day out, they show up to work. Even with the friction created by leadership challenges, the majority of the Iraqi police remain at their post, ready to continue their work. I am very impressed with the loyalty and dedication of the individual policemen."

According to coalition forces reports, about 985 police officers work in Baqubah, and about 9,550 are assigned throughout the province. Additionally, an Emergency Response Force is manned and ready to respond to any crisis, he said.

"I'm not going to paint a pretty picture - insurgent and terrorist organizations are attempting to destabilize the security forces, the government and the population through violence and misinformation," said Sutherland. "However, the government and the security forces are in control."

Coalition soldiers are patrolling around the clock with Iraqi soldiers in Baqubah, Sutherland said.

"We are fully committed to support the government in establishing a safe environment -- one that allows economic growth, infrastructure development, and most importantly, security for the people of Diyala," he said.

(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

[denydenydeny]

You really start to wonder if ANY of what is published and reported in the MSM from Iraq is true or fabricated.

You would have thought that this kind of disparity between propaganda and reality was a thing of the past, now that we have instantaneous communication.

[SandRat]

Not really. The Media looks for and believes what the want to find and believe so they're easy marks for a FlimFlam job.

P.T. Barnum said it best: "There's a sucker born every minute."

[Brad from Tennessee]

I wrote this e-mail to the AP but it is probably a waste of time. The AP's customers are newspapers, television and radio networks and stations. The AP has a virtual world monopoly as a news wire service. As a result, they have no oversight.

info@ap.org
(My hometown) TN 11-30

AP Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll:

RE: AP Iraq coverage

I believe you when you stated you don't pay anyone in Iraq for information.

However, the AP's system of using Iraqi stringers--people of unknown political affiliation--to substitute for accredited reporters is appalling. It has resulted in AP quoting an Iraqi "official" who does not even exist and is used as a "source" of gross fabrications.

I served in Vietnam in the 1st Marine Division and I can attest to the fact that AP staffers not only covered the engagements I fought in but were killed and wounded doing their jobs. They did not hide in a bunker in a "Green Zone" and send underpaid, indigenous stringers to take risks for them.

With the near demise of UPI, the AP has no competition, no rules and no ethics.

Brad (last name)

[fishergirl]

Good for you, it's not a waste of time. The AP has sunk to the level of all the other propaganda news media. Another faction our brave soldiers have to fight against. Thank you for your service to our country and God bless!

[airborne]

The media is trying hard to portray the war as lost.

They must be starting to realize that the end is near and we are going to win.

[popdonnelly]

Ain't that the truth!

[Brad from Tennessee]

Thank you for your sacrifices and those of your courageous son. God Bless you both.