FR WAR NEWS! WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!
All the News the MSM refuses to use!
Or if they do report it, without the anti-War Agenda Spin!
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Posted on 08/26/2007 10:36:24 AM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2007 – Recent strides in Iraq’s economic development, including the reopening of a flour mill last week, are occurring as Iraqi and coalition forces disrupt al Qaeda and other terrorist elements, a senior military spokesman in Iraq said today.
“Local production of flour in a previously dormant mill is a small but meaningful step in Baqubah that demonstrates that as al Qaeda in Iraq is driven out, economic growth emerges,” Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, deputy spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, said at a news conference.
The flour mill in Baqubah, closed for nearly a year, is capable of producing 200 tons of finished flour per day and will employ about 100 mill workers and several truck drivers. The reopening of the mill was the result of a collaborative partnership between the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and Diyala provincial leadership, Fox said.
“As we focus on pressuring al Qaeda, we gain tactical momentum and economic developments and reconstruction are now possible,” Fox added. “As al Qaeda is driven out, normal activities like banking and commerce flourish.”
Disrupting al Qaeda while trying to develop an economy and a democracy takes a dose of diplomacy.
On the diplomatic front, the State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Teams, interagency expeditionary teams designed to develop stable economic and political environments at the provincial level, are also making meaningful strides, according to the State Department’s counselor for public affairs, another featured speaker at today’s news conference.
“The role of the Provincial Reconstructions Teams is to help provincial governments develop a transparent and sustained capability not only to govern, but to increase security, rule of law, promote political and economic development, and provide the administration necessary to meet the basic needs of the local population,” said Philip Reeker.
There are now 29 Provincial Reconstruction Teams at work throughout Iraq’s 18 provinces. A conference that begins tomorrow in Baghdad will gather provincial governors from the four northern provinces, Reeker added.
“A great example of the progress we’re making is the conference of northern province governors. It is an opportunity for delegations to share issues that affect the four northern provinces and discuss solutions,” Reeker said.
Turning to operations, Fox told the Baghdad press corps that joint operations between coalition and Iraqi security forces have doubled compared to this time last year. He added the total number of attacks against civilians and security forces are at the lowest level since August 2006.
“Although we have made progress, we know we face a tough fight against an enemy that is willing to indiscriminately kill innocent men, women and children,” Fox said. “We will continue to work closely with the government of Iraq and Iraqi security forces to pursue the enemy and build on our tactical momentum.”
FR WAR NEWS! Amen to great news.
ping
Who’s right?
“Data Shows No Surge in Safety in Iraq so far in 2007”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1886772/posts
“•Iraq is suffering about double the number of war-related deaths nationwide compared with last year — an average daily toll of 33 in 2006, and 62 so far this year.
•Nearly 1,000 more people have been killed in violence across Iraq in the first eight months of this year than in all of 2006. So far this year, about 14,800 people have died in war-related attacks and sectarian murders. The AP accounted for 13,811 deaths in 2006.
•Baghdad has gone from representing 76 percent of all civilian and police war-related deaths in Iraq in January to 52 percent in July, bringing it back to the same spot it was roughly a year ago.
The U.S. military did not get all the additional American forces into Iraq until June 15, so it would be premature to draw a final statistical picture of the effect of the added troops. But initial calculations validate fears that the Baghdad crackdown would push militants into districts north of Baghdad.
In July, the AP figures show, 35 percent of all war-related killings occurred in northern provinces. The figure one year ago was 22 percent.”
Your answer is in the source and who do you trust. For me the answer is easy and can be found in this.
A British ditty from the beginning of the last century:
“You do not have
To bribe or twist
The arm
Of the British journalist
Considering what he would do
Unasked
There is no reason to.”
Inspired by the “caveat emptor” principle of Roman law, which sounds a note of caution for potential buyers, media consumers should heed the unwritten warning, “Reader/Viewer/Listener beware.” And some VERY STRONG Criticism within the MSM/Press Services journalistic profession wouldn’t hurt either.
Four points regarding your question:
1)Number of attacks are down, but there were some high-casualtie attacks which alter the statistic. Just think of the massive bombing of the Yazidis. Also Iranian made bombs are more “effective” than the usual IED’s.
2)AP regularly mixes terrorist, militia, security force and civilian casualties. They basically never make an distiniction between civilians and terrorists killed. Since we regularly get Army reports on rising numbers of terrorists killed, it’s safe to say that the thousands of killed enemies are included in AP’s victim count.
3)The surge until now was mainly focused/focusing on Baghdad, Anbar and Diyala with good results. However many of the terrorists seem to have been pushed up north. They will be squeezed.
4)There has been a rise in Shia on Shia militia-turf violence in the Southern provinces.
But, but, don’t forget the surge is a failure. The dems say so so it must be true.
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