Posted on 09/04/2007 5:49:18 AM PDT by Democracy In Iraq
By DAVID RISING, Associated Press Writer Tue Sep 4, 4:47 AM ET
PATROL BASE MURRAY, Iraq - From this base in insurgent country south of Baghdad, there are no doubts that the U.S. decision to pour 30,000 additional troops into the fight has had an effect. ADVERTISEMENT
Before the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade arrived in mid-June, the area around Patrol Base Murray was known as the Triangle of Death — a safe haven for al-Qaida in Iraq to ambush Shiites, launch mortar and rocket attacks into the Green Zone and rig car bombs, suicide vests and other weapons for use in the capital.
Today, commanders point to the sharp drop in Baghdad attacks — down in August to a quarter of what they had been, according to the top commander Gen. David Petraeus — as evidence of their effectiveness.
"Our job was to stop the flow of accelerants to Baghdad," Lt. Col. Ken Adgie, commander of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, said Monday, referring to bombs, bullets and fighters that accelerate the conflict.
"Take a look. Have the number of incidents in Baghdad slowed? It's working," he said.
More than just adding more boots on the ground, Petraeus' strategy called for the establishment of smaller combat outposts like Patrol Base Murray to encourage soldiers to get to know the local population and get closer to the insurgency.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yahoo must be broken.
That's very true and so evident to those of us here. The attacks haven't stopped (heard a couple of BOOMs this morning, but they were the first in a few days), but they have definitely reduced.
But every place in Iraq is a hotspot right now. Cor blimey, this place is hot these days. ;-)
Ugh! I feel for you. We had 3 weeks of temps right above 100 here in GA. That was enough for me!!
Glad to see the AP reporting the truth about the surge!
Stay safe Allegra!
The American people are coming around as well...
http://exposingtheleft.blogspot.com/2007/09/upizogby-poll-most-americans-say-iraq.html
It does not surprise me that two in three liberals believe the war is lost. But then they are the cut and run party afterall
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