U.S. commander points to progress in parts of Iraq (Rats, RINOs, MSM and Al-Qaeda, you're losing)

CNN ^ | 6/7/2007 | cnn

[tobyhill]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A new approach by American-led forces in Iraq is producing "breathtaking" improvements in security in some areas, says Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in the country, but al Qaeda in Iraq remains well-entrenched in some Baghdad neighborhoods.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Petraeus said the situation in Anbar, the restive Sunni province west of the Iraqi capital, has been "truly transformed in recent months, as the Anbaris and the tribes have decided to oppose al Qaeda and fight with the coalition forces against them."

"What's taken place in Anbar is almost breathtaking," he said. "In the last several months, tribes that turned a blind eye to what al Qaeda was doing in that province are now opposing al Qaeda very vigorously. And the level of violence in Anbar has plummeted; although there clearly is still work to be done.

"Our strategy has always been with this new approach to determine who are the reconcilables and to separate them from the irreconcilables, the extremists," he said. (Watch how some Iraqi insurgents are turning on al Qaeda in Iraq militants)

But the picture is not consistent, Petraeus said, and the increase in U.S. forces had been more effective in some areas than others.

Tough work remains to be done in Diyala province north of Baghdad, and al Qaeda remains able to use neighborhoods around the capital to build and dispatch car bombs, he said.

[flynmudd]

Bet it hurts CNN to report good news.

[MNJohnnie]

Good News!

[pissant]

From CNN??? Please recheck the source.

[tobyhill]

I had to do a triple take before I posted just to make sure.

[pissant]

LOL. The editors must be on vacation.

[MinorityRepublican]

If we want to stablize Iraq, we have to work with the Sunni once again, even though they were largely behind the Iraqi Insurgency.

The Shi'ite led government is unlikely to control the security since they are Iranian pawns.

[bnelson44]

Video here:

General Petraeus on Status in Iraq (CNN Interview)

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/06/general_petraeu.html

[bnelson44]

ping

[evad]

>> (Rats, RINOs, MSM and Al-Qaeda, you're losing)<<

What a pathetically accurate statement...not that they are losing but that there is a cabal involving the dims, some of our pubbies, the media and terrorists.

[tobyhill]

Gates says the enemy isn’t the media and most troops want to know what he’s smoking?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845812/posts

[bray]

The Surge is Working

At this rate Al Queda is going to have to redeploy to DC to find safe haven.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[MNJohnnie]

The Shi'ite led government is unlikely to control the security since they are Iranian pawns.

As pointed out to you repeatedly, your opinions are not facts. Please quit posting your opinions as statements of fact. As the data shows your Dinocon dogma are not only ignorant but incorrect as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Iraq http://icasualties.org/oif/

[MNJohnnie]

http://icasualties.org/oif/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Iraq

[Loyal Buckeye]

Looks as though things are back on track after that Mosque bombing (Samura?)(sp?)

That set off sectarian violence that slowed things down.

[Mr. Know It All]

As pointed out to you repeatedly, your opinions are not facts. Please quit posting your opinions as statements of fact.

I'm pretty certain that I disagree with MinorityRepublican's opinions on a few things, but he appears to have his facts straight. The government of Iraq is dominated by SCIRI (which just changed its name). SCIRI was founded by Ayatollah Khomeini.

The army war college has published a rather radical suggestion: we should stop fighting the insurgency and just try to get everyone to calm down. This means negotiating with sides of the conflict regardless of whether or not we prefer their world view. You can read the study here.

The idea that we need to hold our nose and make nice with the Sunni's has support from some top strategists. Are you responding to something else in MinorityRepublican's post?

[TomasUSMC]

PETRAEUS: “That is correct. The fifth of the five surge brigades and the marine expeditionary unit and the combat aviation brigade are still positioning themselves in Iraq as we speak, or moving up from Kuwait. And again, they’ll all be in position and actually in operations in less than two weeks.”

Hummm.

[SandRat]

Latest heard from the DemonRATs/media

NO! NO! NO! NO!



We're Losing and the Troops are Winning!!!

[MinorityRepublican]

I said this on another thread so pardon me if I repeat this statement here.

Prime Minister Maliki is weak like Prime Minister Olmert of Israel.

Maliki begs for American troops to stay in the country while he doesn't have the guts to go after Iranian backed militias led by Sadr.

That's why at this point we are better off being allied with Sunni tribes in the Anbar Province. Things are changing there for the better dramatically.

We're getting nowhere with the Shi'ites, and we would be better off just giving Basra and Baghdad to our enemy, Iran.

[jveritas]

Amen for great news. I predict that Al Qaeda in Iraq will be dead before the end of the year. Al Qaeda has lost its major line of defense in Iraq which “was” the protection, shelter and support provided by the Iraqi Sunni Arabs. Now the Sunnis are rising all over Iraq against Al Qaeda terrorists and killing them and this means it is all over for the terrorists.

By the end of this year the whole world will realize that AMERICA WON THE WAR and that AL QAEDA HAS BEEN TOTALLY DEFEATED.

God bless our troops and President Bush.

God bless America.